Unemployment and Youth Violence in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

Abstract

Many societies both advanced and developing are grappling with the problem of unemployment, but the phenomenon seems acute in developing countries such as Nigeria, where its economy and foreign earnings are based on the exportation of natural resources. Recently, unemployment situation in Nigeria has fallen into double digits with many youths roaming the streets in search of employment, while others have resorted to criminality such as armed robbery, terrorism, cultism internet fraud, pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering to survive. The study is intended to examine the changes in the perception of grievances stemming from economic programme among cohort youth group in Ndokwa East Local Government Area in Delta State of Nigeria. 20 questionnaires were administered among 20 participants who were selected from the youth group using purposive sampling techniques, and the data was analyzed using a descriptive analysis method. Apart from questionnaires, the study also relied on journal articles and oral interviews as other sources of data collection. Study reveals that despite increase in government employment and empowerment programmes, there was still lack of transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability in the implementation of government employment and empowerment programmes, and these were major causes and drivers of conflict in the Local government area.