This study investigates the relationship between cultural identity and academic stress coping strategies of African students studying in Nigerian institutions (a case of university of Lagos). The study employed a qualitative grounded theory methodology using semi-structured interviews with twenty students from varied ethnic backgrounds. The findings indicated that cultural identity was a potent psychological resource that increases motivation, resilience, and the generation of meaning in challenging academic environments. Also, it revealed that informal communal networks such as peer groups, ethnic student associations and religious communities were a critical source of emotional and academic support, often filling the void left by underused campus mental health resources. Furthermore, spirituality, in particular, became an important resource for coping as it provided a re-conceptualisation for Hausa and minority ethnic students. Moreover, the most noteworthy finding of the study was that the students from an ethnic majority reported significantly greater communal coping resources than their minority peers, thanks to the differences in support systems available. These findings emphasize the importance of culturally appropriate treatments and call for identity-based, community and spiritual coping mechanisms to be integrated into student support frameworks. By integrating coping and culture within a culturally ingrained process, the study contributes to the understanding of the literature. It also offers practical recommendations for the development of culturally sensitive mental health policy in Nigerian colleges.