POVERTY AND ITS EFFECT ON HUMAN SECURITY IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF UYO L.G.A, AKWA IBOM STATE)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Poverty is a social problem which has remained as a major developmental challenge in Nigeria for a very long time. Poverty can be due to unemployment
which Obadan and Odusola (2001) observed that unemployment in Nigeria was more acute in the 1980s and has been on the increase ever since. In 2008,
15% of the nation’s work force was unemployed and in 2011 the figure rose to 20% (Lamido, 2013); and the victims of this phenomenon are the youths who
till date have had the highest unemployment rate in Nigeria. According to Akanda and Okuwa (2009) between 40-60% of those unemployed in Nigeria are
aged between 15-25 years and Rotimi (2011) puts the ages between 18 and 45 years. The unemployed are poor and most of them carry the phenomena into
their old ages. Most of those paraded by the law enforcement agencies before the mass media in the country as members of criminal groups fall within this
age bracket. Most of those used in suicide bombings by terrorist groups in the country also fall within this age group. And most of those involved in the Niger
Delta militancy are also of this age group. The fact is that if these youths have alternative means of livelihood or are gainfully employed in the economy, most
of them would not take part in these criminal activities.
