Mentoring programmes have been proposed as a means to support first-year university students in overcoming academic challenges and enhancing their performance. A qualitative approach was employed through semi-structured interviews with mentors and mentees from selected universities in Nigeria. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Mentors reported that the most significant impact of their mentoring relationship was fostering a supportive learning environment, which contributed to improved student engagement and academic performance by an average of 15%. The findings suggest that effective mentoring can significantly contribute to enhancing the academic success of first-year university students in arts and humanities disciplines. Universities should consider implementing structured mentoring programmes with regular evaluation mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement and effectiveness.