Unemployment and Demographic Factors as Predictive Variables in Youth Restiveness
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The following objectives will be ascertained
- To ascertain the relationship between unemployment and youth restiveness in Ikorodu, Lagos state
- To find out the causes of youth restiveness in Ikorodu, Lagos state
- To find out the relationship between education and youth restiveness in Ikorodu, Lagos state
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Unemployment arises when people within the working age who remain without any gainful employment. It is a lack of employment, idleness, involuntary of a person seeking work at a prevailing wage rate, Abadom (1998). Unemployment is a global phenomenon. Over seventy percent of the unemployment cases in Rivers State are fingered to corruption (Ghost Workers Syndrome), Mittee (2006). The payment vouchers are loaded with thousands of names while the actual number of persons working are less. However, from the above assertion, the problem of unemployment does not only boarder on the less developed economies. The most disturbing feature of unemployment is its high level of dynamism and sophistication. Today, you may solve it, tomorrow it will resurface again. The world economies are passing through this same pain. In recent times, the scourge of unemployment has resulted to youth restiveness – an anti social violent activities that are been perpetrated by aggrieved youths. It involves brutality, communal clashes, kidnapping, criminality, prostitution and other crimes perpetrated by idle minds. As Agiobenibo, (1998) puts it: …youth restiveness in Rivers State has taken a different dimension., as criminals from other neighbouring states come to perpetrate the crime, hiding under the auspices of Niger Delta militias. Prior to this time, people viewed youth restiveness as a persistent demand or struggle for the liberation of the oil rich region which has suffered long periods of total neglect by past and present administration in the area of granting them their due percentage of the derivation fund, Ecological fund and provision of infrastructural developments. The idle aggrieved youths have taken to crime pointing accusing fingers to unemployment caused by high level of injustices in the Niger Delta, and corrupt politicians etc, Jhingan (2008). Morestill, is the high pace of youth restiveness to demand for employment in the multinational oil companies in their region, Gbosi (1993). Idle minds in Rivers State prior to this time according to Diejomoah and Orimalada (1991), Falae (1971), and Robinson (2001) committed this crime on subsistence level. Just to take advantage of an ignorant man, but today, militants in the Niger Delta especially in Rivers State have camps and leaders that dialogue constantly with the government. They kidnap and come out from the creeks (hideouts) to collect their ransoms without putting masks on their faces. This is a height of its sophistication. Momba (1983), Anyanwu (1992) and Angaye (1995) are of the view that: … youths take to crime and restiveness as the last resort after seeing corrupt politicians looting the nation’s wealth with impunity. Youths graduate and stay at home as much as five, six or even several years without jobs. Therefore, they see criminality as the only way to break the vicious circle of poverty in their families. Anyanwu (1992) asserts that: Since youths are the leaders of tomorrow, then the prevailing high cost of living and corruption in the country, justifies their restiveness. Millions of Nigerian youths have taken crime to be a hobby, for example, following the statements of some aggrieved youths during the bound on Okada early this year by the Rt. Honourable Chibuike Amaechi led administration. Most motor-cyclist popularly called Okada made open provocative statements that if the government goes ahead to bound the use of Okada in Port Harcourt, they will take to crime as the only way-out. This implies that some Nigerian youths are not even willing to engage themselves in any economic activity or take advantage of the laudable economic programmes of the present administration in Rivers State such as the sustainable Development Programme (Micro Finance Loan).
Concept of Youth Restiveness
According to Yusuf (2014) youth restiveness is an extreme form of deviant behavior among youths which is socially unacceptable in any society. Youth restiveness involves the combination of actions, behaviours and attitudes exhibited by youths which are socially unacceptable and wholesome in the society (Igbo & Ikpa, 2013). They argued that youth restiveness has been a device through which youth use to obtain what they want from relevant authorities.
Chapter Three
Research methodology
Research Design
The research design adopted in this research work is the survey research design which involves the usage of self-designed questionnaire in the collection of data. Under the survey research design, primary data of this study will be collected from selected residents in ikorodu, Lagos State in order to determine the unemployment and demographic factors as predictive variables in youth restiveness. The design was chosen because it enables the researcher to collect data without manipulation of any variables of interest in the study. The design also provides opportunity for equal chance of participation in the study for respondents.
Population of Study
The population of study is the census of all items or a subject that possess the characteristics or that have the knowledge of the phenomenon that is being studied (Asiaka, 1991). It also means the aggregate people from which the sample is to be drawn.
Population is sometimes referred to as the universe. The population of this research study will be Seventy-five (75) residents in ikorodu, Lagos State in order to determine the unemployment and demographic factors as predictive variables in youth restiveness.
Sample Size and Sampling Techniques
The researcher made use of stratified sampling technique because all the members have the same probability of occurrence. The researcher narrowed down the samples to residents in ikorodu, Lagos State in order to determine the unemployment and demographic factors as predictive variables in youth restiveness.
In this study, the researcher used the [TARO YAMANE FORMULA] to determine the sample size.
Yamane (1967:886) provides a simplified formula to calculate sample sizes.
ASSUMPTION:
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter is about the analysis and presentation of data collected from the field through questionnaire. The analysis of the data with particular question immediately followed by the presentation of findings.
As mentioned in chapter three, 75 questionnaires were administered and 50 were retrieved and necessary analysis was carried out on them and presented as follows:
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain unemployment and demographic factors as predictive variables in youth restiveness. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of unemployment and demographic factors as predictive variables in youth restiveness
Summary
This study was on unemployment and demographic factors as predictive variables in youth restiveness. Three objectives were raised which included: To ascertain the relationship between unemployment and youth restiveness in Ikorodu, Lagos state, to find out the causes of youth restiveness in Ikorodu, Lagos state and to find out the relationship between education and youth restiveness in Ikorodu, Lagos state. The total population for the study is 75 selected residents in Ikorodu, Lagos state. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
This work has provided a dependable platform to suitably argue that unemployment does exist in Lagos State in particular. We have taken an indept look at unemployment and youth restiveness in Ikorodu metropolis and considered the theoretical stand points of various academic authorities. The hypotheses tested justified significant relationships with the variables tested because it was discovered that since an idle mind is the devils workshop as they say, youths then decided to move into restiveness or social unrest on full time basis as a way of redressing the situation. It is obvious that no economy of the world can completely tackle the issue of unemployment, hence it needs collaborated efforts of the private sector too as to ensure that the issue of youth restiveness becomes a thing of the past cw be reduced to the bearest minimum.
Recommendation
- There should be the establishment of skills acquisition centres in all the wards in the state as to reduce the pace of violence.
- Multinational companies in the area should lay more emphasis on labour intensive rather than capital intensive. This would help for the employment of manual labourers.
- Government should provide infrastructural facilities in the rural areas to reduce the pace of rural-urban migration. Infrastructural development may make the youths to be self-reliant.
- Government should provide loans to turners in the rural areas to motivate them.
- Sports development should be encouraged, especially at the grass root so as to keep the youths’ mind busy from crime.
- Religious leaders should redirect their programmes to carry the youths along.
- Citing of more police stations or posts in the rural areas will equally reduce the pace of crime and violence.
- The issue of tackling unemployment should be collective and not to be left in the hands of only the government
References
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- . Gbosi, A.N, (1993) The Nature Causes and consequences of Nigerian current unemployment problems. Anvesak India pp5O-51.
- Jhingan, M.L, (2008) The Economics .of Development and Planning 39th Edition Vrinda Publications Limited 18-20.
- Mittee, L (2006) The alarming state of youth restiveness. Vanguard Newspapers vol. 12 Sun Magazine pp4O— 42 of Ibadan Press pp 38-40.
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