Development and Validation of an Afrocentric Psychological Well-Being Scale for Secondary School Adolescents in Nigeria

Existing psychological well-being scales used in Nigerian school counselling research are predominantly developed and validated in Western contexts and may not adequately capture the collectivist, spiritual, and communal dimensions of adolescent well-being in the African context. This study aimed to develop and validate an Afrocentric Psychological Well-Being Scale (APWBS) for secondary school adolescents in Nigeria. A sequential scale development design across five phases was employed. Phase 1 involved an exploratory literature review and focus groups with 120 adolescents, 40 counsellors, and 20 cultural scholars from all six geopolitical zones. Phase 2 involved item generation and expert content validation through a 30-member Delphi panel. Phase 3 involved pilot testing with 200 students. Phase 4 involved main study administration with 1,200 adolescents for exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Phase 5 involved convergent and discriminant validity testing. The resulting 48-item APWBS comprised six factors: relational harmony, spiritual rootedness, communal belonging, purpose alignment, emotional equilibrium, and cultural pride. The instrument demonstrated strong reliability (alpha above 0.80 across all subscales), acceptable fit in confirmatory factor analysis, and significant convergent validity with established general well-being measures. The study provides an original methodological contribution to the Afrocentric measurement of well-being and a practical tool for Nigerian school counselling assessment. Keywords: Afrocentric, psychological well-being, scale development, adolescents, Nigeria.