ABSTRACT
This chapter discuses a mature system of learning at the University of Jos in relation to the Nigerian culture where adults who are either married or single but engaged in a livelihood enrol to acquire novel or advanced knowledge in a chosen career. In Nigeria, most individuals in this category of learners face the following challenges: obtaining study leave approvals, extended stay because of university unions’ industrial and striking actions, access to funding, negative stereotyping by younger students, family responsibilities, gender discrimination with intermittent ethno-religious crises resulting to insecurity which often affect some states in the country. Mature students become vulnerable, leave school or stay longer when faced with such difficulties. Furthermore, it explains why some women experience gender-related challenges as adult learners because of certain socio-cultural issues that continue to exist in different Nigerian societies. As such, some women lack support from their husbands as adult learners thereby leading to poor grades or withdrawal from academic programmes while male learners face financial constraints being the bread winners in their families. Finally, it concludes each section with recommendations on how to mitigate the problems discovered herein.
