Youth Unemployment and Implication for Political Stability in Nigeria (1999-2011)
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND IMPLICATION FOR POLITICAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA (1999-2011)
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND IMPLICATION FOR POLITICAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA (1999-2011)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In Nigeria, civil rule has been restored for over a decades ago, which has given people so much hopes and expectations for political stability to enjoy the value of democratic rule. For instance, it is assumed that with democracy, people would be free to choose their leaders and representatives and hold them accountable for the overall objective of fast tracking development and improving the general living conditions of the masses. This expectation is not misplaced considering that Nigeria has abundant human and natural resources. However, the reality on ground has shown that this expectation is yet to be realized.
Hence, the growing sense of hopelessness among the masses. In other countries in North African like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya where dictators have held sway for over three decades, people have revolted against the system. Though these countries can say to be less democratic than Nigeria, yet the living condition of the people in real economic terms is better (Abati, 2011a; Abati, 2011b; Adejumobi, 2011). Furthermore, the unemployment rates in these countries are more or less like that of Nigeria (Ojenagbo, 2011). The major concern here therefore is, given the kind of violent agitations that pervaded the above mentioned countries with relatively better living conditions than Nigeria, what is the guaranteed that large army of unemployed youths will not engage in activities that would undermine the political stability in Nigeria? Afterall, the current situation in the Niger Delta and the northern Nigeria are not far away from what led to the uprising in those North African countries.
The problem of persistent youth unemployment is very evident in Nigeria. Every year thousands of graduates are turn
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND IMPLICATION FOR POLITICAL STABILITY IN NIGERIA (1999-2011)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
In Nigeria, civil rule has been restored for over a decades ago, which has given people so much hopes and expectations for political stability to enjoy the value of democratic rule. For instance, it is assumed that with democracy, people would be free to choose their leaders and representatives and hold them accountable for the overall objective of fast tracking development and improving the general living conditions of the masses. This expectation is not misplaced considering that Nigeria has abundant human and natural resources. However, the reality on ground has shown that this expectation is yet to be realized.
Hence, the growing sense of hopelessness among the masses. In other countries in North African like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya where dictators have held sway for over three decades, people have revolted against the system. Though these countries can say to be less democratic than Nigeria, yet the living condition of the people in real economic terms is better (Abati, 2011a; Abati, 2011b; Adejumobi, 2011). Furthermore, the unemployment rates in these countries are more or less like that of Nigeria (Ojenagbo, 2011). The major concern here therefore is, given the kind of violent agitations that pervaded the above mentioned countries with relatively better living conditions than Nigeria, what is the guaranteed that large army of unemployed youths will not engage in activities that would undermine the political stability in Nigeria? Afterall, the current situation in the Niger Delta and the northern Nigeria are not far away from what led to the uprising in those North African countries.
The problem of persistent youth unemployment is very evident in Nigeria. Every year thousands of graduates are turn