Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown Policy on the Anxiety Extent, Impact, and Management Approach among Jos Tertiary Institution Students in Plateau State

This study investigated the effect of Nigeria's COVID-19 lockdown policy on university students' anxiety in Jos, a city in Plateau State. In this study, a mixed approach was used, which combined descriptive and 4-by-2 full-factorial design methodologies. 79% of the students were enrolled in programs leading to a national certificate, a higher national diploma, or a health certification, while 21% were from various institutions that awarded degrees. Additionally, a good representation of the gender classes was observed in the student body, with a female-to-male ratio of 46 percent to 55 percent, respectively. However, the majority of the pupils (99 percent) were over the age of 18. According to study results, students employed a high degree of anxiety management strategies, but this was insufficient because it only managed to lower the impact of the anxiety level to 58 percent. A poor reduction in the influence of anxiety on students' ability to handle it is a key result of their failure to consider counseling services. However, it was further concluded that, in comparison to other factors like gender, age, and educational level examined in the study, the type of school the pupils attended made a substantial difference in their anxiety level, impact, and management method. A regular re-training of counselors should be instated across all states of the country to educate them on how counseling services can be virtualized across the country to allow students to access the service in their comfort zone and to educate them on the need to raise awareness and enlighten the students on the best management approaches to minimize the effect of the student's anxiety level. Keywords: COVID-19, lockdown policy, tertiary education, anxiety, educational management.