The children and youths are the future of any nation. There are several factors which could derail them from the path of future relevance among which is the academic performance of the individual. There has been an increase in academic nonchalance, a continuing loss of trust in education which has resulted in poor performance as seen from national examinations written by students nationwide. This trend has become a source of concern to parents and the nation at large. To tackle this situation effectively, knowledge of the cause is needed as this will help channel resources efficiently.

A lack of motivation on the part of the student is a factor that can go a long way in affecting the academic performance of the individual. The student has no inner drive for excellence either due to a disinterest in the subject matter or a lack of understanding. There is a lack of incentives to spur him on, hence, a poor performance ensues.

Distractions which could be in the form of internet use, television programs and social events also play a role in the individual's performance. The average person spends two to four hours on social media chatting with friends, following celebrities and generally carrying out unproductive activities. There has been an increase in appealing television programs which has taken up the time of people such that they're able to spend hours watching without tiring. The students, as a result of this, spend time meant for academic activities on these unproductive ventures.

A further cause is the gap in learning between teachers and students which also affects the students' interaction with the academic community. The teachers are unable to pass knowledge across effectively to the students, either as a result of inadequate materials used, the teaching method adopted by the teacher or a disparity between the teaching material and the method of evaluation adopted at the national and international level.

Parental laxity is another contributing factor. Most parents are entangled in their daily activities, not having sufficient time to monitor the academic performance of their wards. They do not go through their assignments and academic report at the end of the year thus, breeding academic nonchalance in them. There is no regulation to the use of social media and television for the children. They are left to themselves in a bid not to appear overbearing, therefore, assisting in making waste to time which could have been used to increase productivity.

Furthermore, emotional stress could affect the performance of a student. Emotional stress could result from a lack of finances, illness, particularly terminal illness of a parent or loved one, a broken home amongst others. This makes it difficult for the individual to concentrate on book work, thereby lowering his performance.

Finally, learning challenges such as dyslexia, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and others affect the performance of a student. These are not rampant in a population, but, still a causative agent in some cases. Dyslexia is a medical condition of the brain that makes it hard for a person to read, write, and spell; while, ADHD is characterized by increased motor excitability (running, jumping and difficulty focusing in the classroom). Due to these, the student is seemingly marked as unserious or a problem child, and left to himself.

Having discovered some of the causative factors, deliberate efforts must be undertaken to remedy this which could be in the form of any of the following:

Parents should encourage their children to take up subjects they're interested in as well as reward them accordingly when they perform excellently.

There should be a limitation to the time spent on social media as well as other time consuming activities.

The teaching materials used at the local level must correlate with that used both nationally and internationally.

The teacher should seek improved methods of getting knowledge across to the students.

Parents should intentionally become involved in the academics of their wards so as to effectively monitor their progress and help them improve.

Efforts should be deliberately made to make the home conducive enough to improve the students' performance.

Finally, careful attention should be paid to the student in order to spot learning challenges and effectively deal with them.