YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND CRIMINAL TENDENCIES IN SOUTH-WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

The youth population of any country represents the driving force for the development or otherwise of such country. For the youths to become positive agents of development, they must be gainfully employed. However, the pervasive high rate of youth unemployment and poverty in Nigeria has made them to involve in criminal activities by misdirecting their energies into wrong endeavours. This paper adopted Ted Gurr’s deprivation theory to specifically examine the criminal tendencies of the unemployed youth (especially those in urban areas) who habitually gathered together to while-away time and subsequently form gangs. It is discovered that this trend has resulted in the levying of illegal taxes on individual and corporate entities domicile in their gang’s jurisdiction to meet their needs. The paper identified the dimensions which these taxes take and analyze its socio-economic, security and political implications on the country. It recommended that government should take urgent steps in addressing this menace by explicitly criminalizing such activities, place heavy sanctions and create employment opportunities for the teaming youth before the trend get out of hand.