Youth Unemployment, Rising Criminality and the Challenge of Sustainable Security in Nigeria’s South West Region

Abstract

Crimes have become more rampart than ever in Nigeria. Robbery, pilfering, kidnapping, internet scam, and other social media crimes have risen to high pedigrees of recent. In most cases, perpetrators of these crimes are youths. The questions are: what is the nature and causes of crime being perpetrated among Nigerian youths? What is its implication on sustainable security for Nigeria? Using South-Western Nigeria as a case study, this study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods, to interrogates the challenge of sustainable security for Nigeria with youth unemployment and crimes. A total of 200 questionnaire were used to elicit information from the residents. It discovered that unemployment and lack of meaningful empowerment by government, among others, are responsible for high crime rates among youths. It recommends urgent efforts on the part of government to gainfully engage unemployed youths for decent means of livelihood. Also, commensurate penalties should be meted out to crime perpetrators including any accomplice security officers to serve as deterrent to others.