Youths In Nigeria Research Articles

Social Media and Changing Communication Patterns Among Youths in Nigeria; a Focus Group Discussion

This research study titled “Social Media and Changing Communication Patterns among Youths in Nigeria: a focus group discussion. This study seeks to explore the level to which students utilize social media and whether this constitutes dependence on virtual interactions; and if this affects their communication patterns. The study sought to investigate how students explore and experiment different online ways of interaction as well as to find out the kind of information they share or exchange in online interactions. The used and gratifications theory and the media dependency theory were used to guide the study. Using the qualitative methods of data collection, we adopted focus group discussion to elicit collect data from the students. To get the appropriate sample size, the study purposively sampled five different groups for the study. Findings revealed among others, that friendship building and information sharing were main reasons why social platforms change the way they commune. The study concluded that language is always an evolving instrument and means of communication and that it is gullible to imagine that utilization of social media doesn't influence the manner in which we utilize English in our day-today life. The paper therefore recommends that social media studies need to be included in the curriculum where students can be taught in their course of study. This particular course could teach the students the revolution of social media, importance of online media and diversified online media uses such as to gather important information, how to research and how to network with people relevant to their line of study.

To be a Man is Not a Day’s Job: The Discursive Construction of Hegemonic Masculinity by Rural Youth in Nigeria

This article explores the discursive construction of hegemonic masculine ideologies which are recreated and reinforced in the daily lives and social contexts of rural youth in southern Cross River State, South-eastern Nigeria. In this study, I demonstrate how these youth reinscribe stereotyped patriarchal ideologies through the performance of hegemonic masculinity in their social engagements particularly involving nicknaming practices, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, risky sexual/social behaviour and the perpetration of a culture of violence in their community of practice. To address this concern, I adopt an ethnographic qualitative design that gains insights from participant observations, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with twenty-two participants. The article highlights the discursive representation of hegemonic masculinity through participants’ socially situated practices and the broader network of meaning that is ascribed in depicting this facet of masculinity which subjugates other forms of masculinities. Other young men who do not subscribe to hegemonic masculine ideals are often labelled, socially excluded and marginalised in their traditional patriarchal environment. The study concludes that rural youth utilize their social contexts as resources for mobilization in the (re)construction of different modes of belonging and reproduction of dominant masculine scripts which perpetuate gender inequality and intolerance.

Scaffolding career skills with entrepreneurial skills for youths' employment in Nigeria: attitude, social influence as moderators

Among other objectives, this study sought to examine the relationship between career skills and entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial opportunities among undergraduate youths in Nigeria. The purpose was to enable the government develop appropriate educational curriculum that would meet the employability needs of Nigerian youths upon graduation. Proportionate stratified random sampling was used to select sample members from 629 third year undergraduate students from three universities in the north, east and west regions of Nigeria. With the use of probability sampling, sample members were selected from the list of registered 300 level students in the faculties. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression were used to analyse data. One of the results indicated that combining career training with entrepreneurial education could lead to self-employment among Nigerian youths after graduation. Therefore, the government should make entrepreneurship studies a compulsory 8-semester course in all undergraduate degree programs in Nigeria. The study was limited to Universities.

Poverty and Coping Strategies of Unemployed Youths in Cross River State, Nigeria

The study investigates how unemployed youths in Cross River state respond to and cope with poor economic conditions. The phenomenon of poverty has been identified as one of the increasing social challenges in Nigeria and has been linked to a number of social problems including street crime, substance abuse, internet fraud, armed robbery, ritual killings, kidnapping, and youth restiveness. Scholars have also argued that whereas the youth is the locomotive of national development and contribute immensely to the sustenance of the developmental momentum of a nation; youths in Nigeria are largely unemployed and redundant. The social consequences of this are enormous and can only be explained from the lens of the restricted opportunity theory and the strain theory. The study employed a cross-sectional survey research design involving questionnaires, interviews, descriptive statistics and 1,010 purposively selected respondents from six local government areas in the three senatorial districts of Cross River. The findings of the study revealed that youth poverty is a growing concern in Cross River state, and is caused by limited access to loans, lack of job opportunities, policy paralysis, among many other factors. Respondents of the study further noted that unemployed youths in the state cope with the hardship associated with poverty and unemployment by engaging in various activities including negative ones such as commercial sex work, theft, cyber fraud, and armed robbery. It is thus recommended, among other things, that the Nigerian State must invest in youth development by creating programmes and funding for small scale businesses, vocational training, and skills development.

Associations Between Endorsement of Inequitable Gender Norms and Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Youth in Nigeria: Violence Against Children Survey, 2014.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the endorsement of inequitable gender norms about intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) and sexual behavior was associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization, IPV perpetration, and sexual risk behavior. Nigerian youth aged 13-24 (n = 4,203) participated in the nationally representative, cross-sectional Nigeria Violence Against Children Survey (VACS) in 2014. Inequitable gender norms about IPVAW were assessed using six items from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), and inequitable gender norms about sexual behavior were assessed using four items adapted from the Gender-Equitable Men (GEM) scale. The number of inequitable gender norms endorsed was summed and associations with having been a victim or perpetrator of IPV and sexual risk behaviors were assessed using logistic regression. Endorsing 3 or more inequitable gender norms about either IPVAW or sexual behavior were both associated with increased odds of IPV victimization, perpetration, and sexual risk behaviors, after adjustment for demographic characteristics, witnessing violence in childhood, and having been a victim of other forms of childhood violence. Demonstrating that endorsement of inequitable gender norms about sexual behavior was associated with violence and that inequitable gender norms about IPVAW were associated with sexual risk behaviors further highlights potential linkages between violence and HIV.

He has committed a drinkable offence: the discourse of alcohol consumption among rural youth in Nigeria

Abstract This article explores how identity and masculinity are framed and negotiated through interactional discourses which are related to alcohol consumption and drinking culture by rural youth in Southern Cross River State, South-Eastern Nigeria. In this culture, young men employ enregisterment of slang, metaphors and subjective narratives to symbolically construct their ideologies of alcohol. The study adopts the community of practice conceptual framework which sets the parameters for social and linguistic practices where language is (re)produced and (re)conceptualised through different forms of participation and engagement. With ethnographic observations, interviews, focus groups and qualitative analysis, I aim to reveal some of the dimensions of identity and masculinity that are enacted in the discourse of alcohol consumption. These include: knowledge of slang and metaphors associated with alcohol and its consumption, projecting an image of a light or heavy alcohol consumer, utilising alcohol as a necessity in resolving conflicts and relating alcohol consumption as a source of strength, toughness and other masculine attributes. I conclude that alcohol drinking culture forms part of the creative agency and social imaginaries of rural youth in defining their authentic social selves and local lifestyles.

Democracy and Right to Freedom of Expression: A Case Study on the Nigerian Youth Protest on Police Brutality

It is stated that both under the constitution of Nigeria and under the African Charter on Human People’s Rights, persons in any part of Nigeria have the fundamental human right to privately and publicly freely express their disproval or objection over an issue through a protest any time or day. In history, protests have often inspired positive social change and improved protection of human rights, and they continue to help define and protect civic space in all parts of the world. In a democratic Nation like Nigeria, Protests encourage the development of an engaged and informed citizenry and strengthen representative democracy by enabling direct participation in public affairs. They enable individuals and groups to express dissent and grievances, to share views and opinions, to expose flaws in governance and to publicly demand that the authorities and other powerful entities solve problems and are accountable for their actions as seen in the case of the Nigeria Youths protest on police brutality. Yet governments around the world too often treat protests as either an inconvenience to be controlled or a threat to be extinguished. In a democratic Nation, the right to freedom of expression which could come through peaceful protests, involves the exercise of numerous fundamental human rights, and it is essential for securing all human rights, which the citizens should not be denied off by any person in power.

Discourse on Social Media Use and Reading Culture of Nigerian Youths

There is a growing public concern over the perceived decline in the reading culture of youths in Nigeria. A wider section of analysts strongly insinuate that the increasing use of social media and other new media technologies is the most significant cause of this social ill; hence, emphasis has been placed on how to control the use of online platforms principally for social interaction in Nigeria. This study examines the nature of relationship between social media use and the reading culture of Nigerian youths. Using a survey of 1,000 youths selected from Nigeria’s South-south geopolitical zone through a multistage sampling technique, the study found that 94.3% of the respondents use the social media and there is a generally poor culture of reading among young Nigerians. Contrary to popular opinion however, the study found a weak and insignificant relationship between social media use and reading culture (rho = 0.241, p> 0.05). Nevertheless, reading culture tended to be positively and significantly associated with certain demographic variables such as sex (.787**), education (.731**) and employment status (.654**). The study recommends the urgent reinvigoration of societal campaigns aimed at improving the reading culture of youths through the provision of a favourable socio-economic environment that encourages people to read.

Associations between Nollywood Movies and Risky Sexual Behaviours among in-School Youths in Nigeria: An Ongoing Study

Nollywood, the second largest movie industry in the world after America’s Hollywood, is Nigeria’s movie industry. This ongoing study investigates how sexual messages and scenes are communicated to viewers and if there is correlation between the pattern of Nollywood movies exposure and sexual behaviour of in-school adolescents in the southwestern part of Nigeria. Data will be collected from the participants through questionnaire while content of popular Nollywood movies among the participants will be content analyzed. It is expected that this study will provide information about the frequency of sexual scenes and how risky sexual behaviours are portrayed in Nollywood movies. Secondly, it is expected that this study will show the types of relationships that exist between movie exposure behaviour and sexual behaviour in the study population. Nollywood, la deuxième plus grosse industrie du cinéma au monde après Hollywood, est l'industrie du cinéma nigérien. Cet étude en cours examine comment les messages et les scènes à caractères sexuels sont communiquées aux téléspectateurs et s'il existe une corrélation entre le modèle d'exposition aux films Nollywoodiens et les comportements sexuels des adolescents scolarisés dans le sud-ouest du Nigéria. Les données seront collectés auprès des participants par le biais d'un questionnaire et le contenu des films Nollywoodiens populaires auprès des participants sera anlysé. Cette étude devrait fournir des information sur la fréquence des scènes sexuelles et sur la manière dont les comportements sexuels à risque sont décrits dans les films de Nollywood. Il est aussi attendu que cette étude montre les types de relations qui existent entre le comportement d'exposition au cinéma et le comportement sexuel dans la population étudiée.

He looks so cute: The discourse of heterosexual relationship initiation by female youth in Nigeria

In many cultural traditions in Africa and beyond, it is taboo for women to initiate sexual offers to men. However, with the new wave of gender fluidity, exposure to media, and affiliation with modernity, some young women in Nigeria initiate heterosexual relationships with their choice of partners. This article explores the nuanced narratives, motivations and experiences of young women in such relationships from a qualitative ethnographic approach using participant observations, focus group and semi-structured interviews. The study is rooted in gender performativity, a postmodern feminist approach to gender and sexuality which allows an individual to express his or her sexual identity and roles based on preference, freedom and responsibility. The results, based on linguistic evidence, show that through initiating sexual relationships, young women find a source of empowerment and agency that challenges their stereotyped passive roles, breaks down gender barriers in normative heterosexual relationships, and thus expand the boundary of their femininity.

Grameen Microcredit as an Archetype of Islamic and Ethical Micro Financing Experiences: Respondents’ Perceptions on its Viability in Nigeria

Making microcredit facilities accessible to the poorest members of society have attracted well support from neoliberals partly due to its prominence on individual responsibility and those on the left of the political spectrum to a certain extent for the reason of its potential to empower women. Following this premise, the paper focused on the justification of ethical micro financing in Nigeria with consideration of experiences worldwide that Islamic micro financing is one of the fastest-growing segments in both the domestic and international financial system. This study also intends to inspire the espousal of alternative ethical finance to tie together its benefits in Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was distributed to the Bauchi metropolis; thereby, a convenience sampling technique was used. The data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, and simple tabulation. This study believed that poverty is not created by poor people. It is created by the institutions and policies which surround them. Loans offer people the chance to take initiatives in business and agriculture to make earnings that enable them to pay off debt. This paper largely recommended that the acceptance of Islamic and ethical microfinancing experiences are the foremost component of the struggle against poverty and can be used to ease the discouraging impact of the high unemployment rate among the youth in Nigeria and other Muslim countries.

Demographic and Psychosocial Determinants of Life Satisfaction Among Youths in Nigeria: Evidence from the Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey

Subjective Wellbeing, implying an evaluation of one’s life has recently received intellectual attention, especially in developed countries. Measuring this concept entails both an effective and cognitive evaluation of life. Life satisfaction plays a vital role in positive life outcomes as a key part of the cognitive component of subjective wellbeing. Various factors could determine the current state of wellbeing on an individual. Leveraging on one of the surveys that collect data on subjective wellbeing in Nigeria, we examined the determinants of life satisfaction among youths in Nigeria, with a concentration on the demographic and psychosocial factors. Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) data for Nigeria (n = 18,454) was analyzed using chi-square tests and binomial logistic regression in Stata 14. The result showed that gender, residence, and region significantly determined life satisfaction. For psychosocial factors influencing life satisfaction; health, family life satisfaction, friendship, treatment by others, and perceived improvement in comparison to last year, significantly determine life satisfaction. Specifically, male resident in rural areas of Nigeria were more likely to report satisfaction with life. Further, youths that reported satisfaction with family life were more likely to be satisfied with life in general, while satisfaction with health, friendships, treatment by others, and improved condition from last year influenced satisfaction with life. In conclusion, it has been shown that beyond the socio-demographic factors, psychosocial determinants play vital roles in determining life satisfaction among youths. It is therefore imperative that government agencies consider policies and interventions that address psychosocial support for youths in Nigeria.

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Youth empowerment is the key to sustainable development. Nigeria which stands as the youngest population in Africa has more than 50% of her population fall within the age range known as Youths (16-39)(NBS Report, 2018).The implication of this reality is that Nigeria has a massive prospect for economic development but that will be if the country can efficiently harness this human resources efficiently. Though numerous youth empowerment programs have been put in place by the Nigerian government, those programs lack sustainability. Today, the sad reality is that most of the youths in Nigeria are unemployed.The Nigeria bureau of statistics states that about 20.9 Million Nigerians were unemployed as at the third quarter of 2018, this data also shows that more than 80% of this unemployed Nigerians are youths, the working population of the country.With such a population of youths and drastic dilemma of unemploymentand poverty in the country, there is a need for government to adopt new strategy to engage this young population in a very productive way.This paper examines youth empowerment concepts that can be used to engage this huge human resources (the youth in Nigeria) in a productive way that will build sustainable economic development. The paper X-rays youth empowerment concept and their developmental potentials if they are carefully implemented with regulatory frame work to drive their sustainability.The study utilized questionnaires as the primary source of data and research reports and academic publications as the secondary sources of data. The study recommended that the youth empowerment programs should be revamped in a strategic way that will engage the youths and add massive revenue to the economy.

Entrepreneurial Development and Employment Creation: A Focus on Education and Financial Aid as a Sustainable Option for Youths in Nigeria

This paper shades evident light on the launch of entrepreneurial development and employment creation in recent times. The main objective lays bare the value of entrepreneurial development as a plausible option in the creation of employment for youths in Nigeria. From the study, entrepreneurial development is not rooted on a singular fundamental approach. There are other concentrations, such as entrepreneurial education and financial empowerment, which relates to job creation and sustainability. The inquiry investigated how entrepreneurial training and financial empowerment boost employment creation and sustainability for Nigerian youths. The study righty adopts Econometrics analysis while using a time series data from 1992 to 2015 retrieved from the Bureau of Statistics and Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletin. The variables stipulated in the inquiry were analyzed using E-views computational software while inculcating the unit root/ Augmented Dickey Fuller test etc for the statistical analysis. The findings divulged that entrepreneurial education triggers the desire for financial freedom in Nigerian youths. The study appreciably recommends that the government instigate policies that pay more attention to entrepreneurial education in tertiary institutions as Nigerian youths are encouraged to improve themselves via entrepreneurial enlightenment.

Predictors of Violence among Drug Abusers in Selected Drug Joints in Mushin, Lagos Metropolis

The prevailing incidence of illicit drug intake among youths in Nigeria is alarming and undermines developmental structure of the society locally and internationally. All over the world today, cases of Illicit drug consumptions by the Nigeria youths has gained its momentum toward negative directions and its impact has degenerated to series of anti-behavioural problems such as trauma, larceny, egocentric suicide, cybercrime, kidnapping, laziness, terrorism, murdered cases, poor manpower supply and retrogressive national and international images among other nations in the world. Extant publications were reviewed for the study in line with broken theory by Keilling and Wilsons were also adopted for the justification of the inquiry. Mixed method and cross section Survey design and Yemane Yaro formula was adopted to select the 400 respondent for the quantitative inquiry but 245 questionnaires were found useful for the study while 10 in-depth interviews were carried out among the participants. The Chi-square result deciphers that youth access to illicit drug (X2)= 56.750a; p< 0.005.) Cost of purchasing of drug (X2)= 59.598a, p< 0.005.) and nature of employment (X2)=46.611, p<0.005.) of youths has significant relationship with violent behaviour. It is advisable youths to avoid joining drug related gangs; Nigeria Government should be willing to provide basic amenities for the youths so as to reduce violent activities in Nigeria

The nexus between the increasing involvement of youth in betting games and unemployment: the Nigerian perspective

Purpose Betting games have become a global industry worth billions of dollars providing employment to millions and contributing to the gross domestic product (GDP) of several countries. While there are debates and controversies surrounding betting games discourse, a growing body of literature shows that it has been exacerbated by growing unemployment rates. This paper aims to examine the nexus between the increasing involvement of youth in betting games and unemployment from the Nigerian perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts simple random and stratified sampling techniques to select participants for the study. Three hypotheses were tested for this study and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation model (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Findings The three hypotheses tested in this study were coined from previous literature. The study established a direct link between technology advancement, promises of winning big coupled with bonuses while unemployment was not significant to youth involvement in betting games. The study also showed that playing betting games provides another source of income to the youth, who are already engaged in one form of work or another. Finally, youth involvement in betting games has created awareness regarding different sports in the world, while contributing to Nigeria’s economy. Practical implications As betting games centre as a business in Nigeria has contributed substantially and positively to unemployment in Nigeria; the Government of Nigeria are encouraged to streamline and regulate the activities of the sector such that they can contribute significantly to the country GDP and provide employment opportunities to the youths. Originality/value The research shows that the reason why betting games have a massive turnaround of youths in Nigeria is not majorly because of unemployment but as another means to a substantial financial individual/family income. Thus, Nigerian youths see betting games as an avenue to make more money. The study is the first of its kind to examine the nexus between betting games, technology and unemployment hence, its contribution to knowledge.

Age categorization of overweight and obesity using waist circumference, waist height ratio and body mass index among children and youth in Nigeria

Age categorization of overweight and obesity using waist circumference, waist height ratio and body mass index among children and youth in Nigeria

Value Deficiency, Employment Generation and Crime among Youths in Nigeria: An Overview

Value deficiency and crime among the youths reflects the plethora of contemporary societal challenges that appear to inhibit social progress and national development. This paper therefore discusses value deficiency, employment generation and crime among youths in Nigeria. It examines the relationship between value deficiency and crime among youths in Nigeria despite several government efforts at employment generation. This paper argues that, although employment is a critical requirement for youths to realize their potentialities and release their contributory efforts to national development, the burden of value deficiency appears to vitiate such efforts and propel youth towards increasing crime. The paper identifies factors such as degradation and relegation of values as the causes of value deficiency in the Nigeria society. This paper adopted the Social Impact Theory [1] to emphasize its points. Secondary data collected from previous researches and analysis of scholars to demonstrate the facts stated here were analyzed using the descriptive method. The study finds that value deficiency increases the incidence of crime among youths and vitiates the efforts at employment generation in Nigeria. It recommends among others that youth development strategies must necessarily include value re-orientation and further re-orientation programmes and this requires the active support of the family, the community and the government.

The Place of the Youths in Nigeria’s Democratic Leadership 1999 - 2019

The period 1999 marks the return of democratic rule after the exit of military occupation of Nigeria’s leadership space. One of the cornerstones of this turning point is the reintroduction of participatory democracy which, in its practice, accommodates participation and leadership from all qualified citizens. Nevertheless, since 1999, the youths of Nigeria are seemed to have been skewed out of the country’s leadership structure. Unarguably, the most repressed and marginalized segment or group in Nigeria since the return of democratic governance is the youth. Consequently, cries of perceived and real marginalization of the youth in leadership have resonated in the country. Against this backdrop, this article examines the place of the youths in Nigeria's leadership and isolates some of the encumbrances inhibiting them from having access to the structures of power. The article attempt to explore and interrogate these and other variegated issues arising from youth political marginalization in Nigeria and suggest a way forward. The article essentially adopts historical cum descriptive and analytical methods of analysis at arriving on a conclusion. The paper argues and demonstrates that youth’s political involvement in terms of holding political offices since 1999 is marginal. The article opined that talent infused leadership devoid of age discrimination is the only desideratum to youth political participation and leadership in Nigeria.

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN POST SAP ERA NIGERIA: AN EMPIRICAL PERSPECTIVE

This study investigated the role of agriculture in generating employment in post SAP era Nigeria. This study was motivated as a result of lack of sufficient studies regarding this subject matter in the recent time. Data were sourced from the CBN Statistical Bulletin and Cointegration, DOLS and Granger Causality Approach was used to address the objective of this study. Consequently, the major findings that emerged in this study are as follows: agricultural sector contributed to employment generation in the country, though not significant in the post SAP era. Similarly, inflation rate has a positive impact on employment generation in the economy. However, the contribution of agricultural expenditure to the employment generation was negative in the country. Furthermore, one way feedback flows from employment to agricultural expenditure and expenditure on agriculture granger causes inflation rate in the economy. Moreover, based on these findings the following recommendations could be made for the policy makers in Nigeria that agricultural sector has the capacity to address the current unemployment menace among the youths in Nigeria. Also, the government should possess a political goodwill to diversify the current mono-cultural nature of the economy towards agricultural sector by proper funding of this sector of the economy