This study examines the influence of parenting on alcohol and drug use among teacher trainees in Nigerian universities. The sample includes students who leave home after secondary school (residential-students on campus) as well as those who continue to live at home after secondary school (non-residential). Seventy-nine residential and 124 non-residential students were sampled. The attributes for parenting in this study consisted of behavioural monitoring, involvement, and encouragement of autonomy. Non-residential students described their parents as being more involving and providing less behavioural monitoring than residential students (residential: M = 54.35, SD = 11.94; non-residential: M = 57.56, SD = 8.75; t (2.205) p = 0.029). Greater parental involvement was related to lower levels of alcohol use among non-residential students, but unrelated to the use of other substances. A very low relationship between parenting and alcohol or other drug use was found for residential students. (Contains 3 tables.)