International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) |Volume VI, Issue X, October 2022|ISSN 2454-6186

Youth Employment, Security and Poverty in Nigeria

 Abubakar Haruna¹*, Zipporah Oyigbenu Elijah², Hussaina Abdullahi Yarima^3
1Department of Accounting, Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, P.M.B 013, Hadeja, Jigawa State, Nigeria
²Department of Public Administration, Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
³Department of General Studies, Isa Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author

Abstract: This paper seeks to explore the interrelation between youth employment, security and poverty in Nigeria using content analysis. Despite government initiatives or programmes on youth empowerment, there has been increasing issues and challenges with respect to youth empowerment, including youth unemployment, increasing crimes and criminality such as armed robbery, kidnapping, drug abuse, oil theft, banditry, Biafra agitation and Boko Haram menace, among others. No doubt, these issues and challenges have implications for national security in Nigeria. The study analyses the nexus between unemployment/employment and security challenges as well as poverty and security. We conclude that unemployment and high rate of poverty constitute a threat to the security situation of Nigeria. Unemployment leads to poverty, and poverty creates insecurity. It recommended among others that, only good governance can guarantee peace and security in the present-day Nigeria. Government budgetary allocation should be focused on the social and human security rather than physical approach to national security.

Keywords: Youth, Employment, Security, Poverty and Nigeria

I. INTRODUCTION

Youth empowerment initiative through self-employment have been regarded as a means to reduce poverty and enhancing security in Nigeria. Successive governments in Nigeria over the years, have embarked on various youth empowerment/development initiatives designed to empower the youths in the country so as to make them contribute meaningfully to the development of the nation. Some of the youth empowerment initiatives include Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment programme (SURE-P), Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), Youth Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture in Nigeria (YISA), Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWIN), National Directorate of Employment (NDE) scheme and N-power.
Despite these initiatives or programmes (and many others not mentioned), there has been increasing issues and challenges with respect to youth empowerment, including youth unemployment, increasing crimes and criminality such as armed robbery, kidnapping, drug abuse, oil theft, banditry, Biafra agitation and Boko Haram menace, among others. No doubt, these issues and challenges have implications for national security in Nigeria. Thus, a lot more still has to be done in the area of youth empowerment to give the youths a bright future to guarantee a safer and secured society.

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