This study retrospectively investigates the academic and psychological readiness of final-year university-level Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UL-TVET) students in Nigeria following the prolonged 2022 Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike. The study is significant because while prior research has examined the causes and immediate consequences of academic disruptions, little is known about how extended strikes affect students’ ability to reintegrate academically and psychologically, especially in vocational disciplines where practical readiness is critical. Anchored in Opportunity Structure Theory, this study adopts a qualitative design involving semi-structured interviews with 58 final-year students across three public universities in different geo-political zones. Thematic analysis revealed three dominant themes: academic transition challenges and institutional compression; psychological fatigue and emotional disengagement; as well as adaptive coping strategies. Findings indicate that compressed academic calendars, disrupted Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) placements, and weak project supervision significantly undermined students’ academic depth and vocational preparedness. Psychologically, students reported concentration difficulties, burnout, and motivational decline, exacerbated by the absence of structured reintegration support. Although some students employed peer-led study groups, faith-based resilience, and time management tools to cope, these strategies were unevenly distributed and insufficient to offset systemic gaps. The study concludes that readiness was not uniformly restored and calls for institutional frameworks that integrate academic and psychosocial recovery in post-strike contexts. By highlighting these gaps, the study contributes to ongoing debates on higher education resilience in developing contexts and offers policy directions for post-strike recovery frameworks in TVET institutions. © The Author(s) 2025.
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