Youth Empowerment and Crime Reduction: A Descriptive Study of Youth Empowerment Programs in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Introduction

Youth crime is a pervasive issue affecting communities worldwide, often resulting in long-term social and economic consequences. Traditional crime reduction methods, such as increased policing and punitive measures, have shown limited success in addressing root causes of crime. This has led to a shift towards more holistic and preventative strategies, with youth empowerment emerging as a promising solution (Hassan & Abdulkareem, 2023; Abin, 2018). The youths used in this study were individuals between eighteen and thirty-five years.

Youth empowerment is a deliberate initiative by the government or private entities to foster the development of young people, particularly adolescents (Onion, 2022). This involves promoting self-awareness, providing essential life skills, ensuring access to education, encouraging community engagement, offering robust support systems, creating leadership opportunities, and enhancing overall well-being, including financial empowerment (Umeifekwem, Eme & Okeke, 2023). The importance of the youth in any country, including Nigeria, cannot be overstated. However, youth unemployment remains a major problem. Despite Nigeria’s abundant natural and human resources, which could empower its youth, contribute positively to socioeconomic development, and transform the country for the better, the reality is quite different (Adebisi & Oniz, 2020; Ewubare & Kakain. 2017). The lack of meaningful empowerment programs for unemployed youth is a major factor contributing to youth restiveness and social vices (Akintoye & Odia, 2021). The limited empowerment initiatives initiated by federal and state governments often favor minorities based on political sentiment, ethnicity, and other biases.

Additionally, many youths who acquire skills lack access to microcredit loans to support their ventures, exacerbating this problem. With their vitality, creativity, character, and perspective, young people possess the ability to lead, progress, and enhance security. However, when they are not effectively engaged, they may resort to social ills such as criminal activities (Onel & Adeleke, 2023). According to Onel and Adeleke (2023), crime is defined as an act that goes beyond personal issues, enters the public sphere, and violates laws or regulations that require intervention from public authorities. Some initiatives launched by the Nigerian Federal Government to empower youth include the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), the National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP), and the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOUWIN).

The N-Power initiative, a prominent Federal Government program, aims to provide skills and job opportunities to unemployed youths, thereby reducing poverty and promoting economic inclusion. It includes components such as N-Teach, N-Agro, and N-Health, which target different sectors of the economy. However, studies have shown mixed results regarding the effect of N-Power. While many beneficiaries have successfully started businesses or find employment, issues such as delayed payments, limited awareness, political alignment, and the problem of only a fraction of unemployed youth persist in all states, thereby worsening the situation (Ajala & Jawondo, 2023; Adebisi & Oniz, 2020).

Ekiti State actively participates in initiatives to reduce youth unemployment and address youth-related crimes through empowerment and skill acquisition programs across its local government areas. These programs serve as alternatives to crime by fostering collaboration between various government ministries, including the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and other stakeholders. Their focus is on identifying and nurturing talent, providing vocational training, and supporting the establishment of small businesses. The Ministry of Youth and Sports in Ekiti State is responsible for identifying and developing youth talent, implementing empowerment programs, and promoting self-employment and self-reliance among youth. They also emphasize vocational training and engage voluntary youth organizations to curb restiveness (Onion, 2022; Lamidi, Igbokwe & Lamidi, 2021). While there have been successes, such as beneficiaries starting their businesses, challenges remain, particularly in funding and timely disbursement of support (Onel & Adeleke, 2023; UNDP, 2022). However, the lack of awareness among youth regarding the importance of skill acquisition in reducing unemployment is also concerning. Over the years, skill acquisition programs aimed at empowering youth have faced numerous challenges that undermine their ability to achieve self-reliance. This has exacerbated youth unemployment and its associated social vices in Nigeria, particularly in Ekiti. These challenges include government insensitivity, deceptive practices, lack of political will, attitudes of youth towards skill acquisition, deteriorating societal values, the overpowering influence of party politics on youth, lack of reward systems, and declining educational standards, among others (Onel & Adeleke, 2023; Omeje, Mba & Ugwu, 2020). The lack of skills for youth empowerment has led to poverty and increased societal crimes, urgently calling for attention to prevent further damage to the nation and Ekiti State. The link between unemployment and social vices is evident, as ineffective empowerment programs leave idle, poor, hungry, and uneducated youths resorting to various anti-social behaviors, including crime, as a means of survival (Ajala & Jawondo, 2023; Omeje, Mba & Ugwu, 2020).

In response to the increasing unemployment rate and its associated risks, every nation and multinational institution has implemented a youth agenda and an action plan to reduce unemployment. This is because joblessness among educated and trained youths, who have significant potential for the labor market, wastes human resources. However, the rising youth unemployment, particularly before civilian administration, was not due to a lack of empowerment programs but rather the failure of policymakers to develop an effective strategy to engage the youth in the process (Hassan & Abdulkareem, 2023; Abin, 2018). The Youths’ Empowerment Programme and Crime Commission in Ekiti State, Nigeria, represent critical efforts to tackle youth unemployment and crime. Although there have been successes, significant challenges remain. Addressing these issues through timely payments, increased awareness, and enhanced monitoring can help maximize the benefits of these programs and contribute to sustainable economic growth and stability, thereby catalyzing crime reduction in the state. The main objective of this study is to examine whether these empowerment programs effectively reduce crime among youth in Ekiti.

Theoretical framework

This research draws on social organization theory, developed by Clifford, Shaw, Henry, and McKay in 1942 and later edited by Charis and Ronald (2017). The theory suggests that there is a relationship between crime rates and ecological features by analyzing how social structure and various societal aspects affect youth crime and the success of empowerment initiatives. Social disorganization theory consists of three main elements: the relationship between community structure and crime, the functions of social institutions, and the effects of mobility and diversity (Sampson & Groves, 1989). Community structure and crime suggest that crime is more prevalent in communities with weak institutions, poor economic conditions, and low social cohesion. According to this theory, this often leads to high unemployment rates, poor educational facilities, and inadequate social services, which increase youth criminal activities (Jones, 2020). Ekiti State, like many states in Nigeria, faces significant challenges related to youth unemployment and crime, despite its educational achievements. High unemployment rates, especially among young people, create a fertile ground for criminal activities. This further aggravates the lack of economic opportunities and social services (Ajala & Jawondo, 2023).

The role of social institutions as the second component emphasizes the crucial roles of effective social institutions such as schools, family units, and community organizations in maintaining social order and preventing crime by providing social support, guidance, and opportunities for youth, thereby reducing their propensity to engage in criminal behavior (Mancini & Bowen, 2013). In present-day Nigeria, the roles of social institutions are ineffective, and the country faces significant challenges, such as poor educational facilities, substance abuse, divorce, familial conflicts, hunger, unemployed parents, and inadequate social services, such as good roads, healthcare, and potable water. These conditions contribute to increased youth involvement in criminal activities for survival (Aremu, & Aremu, 2022).

According to this theory, the impact of mobility and heterogeneity asserts that high levels of residential mobility and ethnic heterogeneity disrupt community social networks and weaken informal social controls, making it more difficult for communities to address issues related to youth crime and unemployment (Odesanmi et al., 2023). In Nigeria, the issue of ethnicity has become deeply entrenched, causing significant discord and undermining harmonious relationships among various ethnic groups since amalgamation. This has negatively affected the cooperative existence of the nation. Many individuals who could have settled in their communities are now migrating to cities for unavailable jobs or leaving the country altogether (Japa Syndrome) (Odesanmi et al., 2023). Applying social disorganization theory to any Community, State, or Nation provides a valuable lens to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with youth non-empowerment programmes and crime. This could be achieved by addressing the structural conditions that contribute to social disorganization and enhance the capacity of social institutions. This will reduce youth crimes and promote sustainable development. Similarly, strengthening educational facilities, supporting family units, and improving social services will create a more stable and cohesive community and mitigate the factors that lead to youth crimes.

Methodology

This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. This study was carried out in three Senatorial Districts of Ekiti State, comprising 16 local government areas. However, a three-stage sampling process was used to select Ado, Ikere, and Oye local governments so that a local government would represent each senatorial district. Data were gathered from 400 validated responses from 450 questionnaires distributed among male and female youths who benefited from empowerment programs provided by either government or private organizations. Their age range was between 18-35 years, and the research was conducted between April and May this year (2024). Ethical approval for the study was sought and obtained from Landmark University Research Ethics Committee with reference Number: LMUIREC/HSU/003/2025.

The response rate may be well below 100% (Salkind, 1997). Recommended oversampling, which stated that “when mailing out surveys or questionnaires, the researcher should count on increasing the sample size to account for lost mail/questionnaire and uncooperative subjects”. For this reason, 22.5% of 367= 83 was added to Yamanes’ calculation (367 + 83), making 450 as shown in Table 3.1. Therefore, a total of 450 questionnaires were administered.

Tillé’s (2020) proportionate allocation formula was adopted to assess the proportion of respondents to the questionnaire administered to each local government.

Inclusion Criteria:

Exclusion Criteria:

The data collected from the administered questionnaires were coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as tables, frequencies, and percentages, to demonstrate the responses obtained from the respondents. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson chi-square, Crammers’ V, and linear regression techniques at a significance level of 0.005 using SPSS software version 20.

Discussion of the findings

The theoretical findings align with social disorganization theory, as Ekiti State faces challenges related to unemployment and crime despite being one of the educationally advantaged states. This finding is consistent with those of (Karanu, Koome & Gesimba, 2020; Onion, 2022). This is due to poor educational facilities that do not give room for skills development or acquisition in schools and the poor economic situation of the state, as the state relies heavily on federal allocations for survival. The roles of social institutions are ineffective, as youths are faced with substance abuse, divorced families, familial conflicts, hunger, and unemployed parents, coupled with inadequate social services such as good roads, healthcare, and potable water. This has increased youth involvement in criminal activities as a means of survival. These findings align with those of (Odesanmi et al., 2023; Ajala & Jawondo, 2023; Jones, 2020). Therefore, strengthening educational facilities, supporting family units, and improving social services, including youth empowerment programs, will create a more stable and cohesive community, thereby mitigating the factors that lead to youth crime.

Quantitatively, revisiting the first objective, which examines youth involvement in empowerment programs and crime reduction in Ekiti State, Nigeria, reveals that there is a statistically significant relationship between youth involvement in empowerment programs and crime reduction at an X²(calculated value = 255.603); and Crammer’s V = 0.799, which shows a perfect and moderate relationship. Similarly, following the p-value of 0.001, which is less than the threshold of 0.05, coupled with the fact that the F value is 465.701 at the 0.000 significance level, the Linear Regression shows a relationship at the R model strength of 0.734. This finding aligns with the research of (Chang, Sjöberg, Turunen, & Rambaree, 2022; Onion, 2022; Karanu, Koome, & Gesimba, 2020). Furthermore, for the second object, which investigates the financial status of youth and crime reduction in Ekiti State, the result showed that the calculated chi-square (815.023) is greater than the tabulated chi-square at 0.05 significance level of, and nine degrees of freedom. Crammers’ V, which is 1.427, shows an extremely robust relationship between the financial status of youth and the financial status of youth and crime reduction, and Linear Regression buttressed this. Hence, a significant relationship exists between the financial status of youth and crime reduction in Ekiti. These findings were corroborated by (Udeh, Daraojimba, Odulaja, 2024; Aremu & Aremu, 2022; Adebisi & Oniz, 2020; Jegede, Irewole, & Dada, 2019).

Conclusion

This study examines the impact of youth empowerment programs as a strategy to reduce crime through the lens of social disorganization theory. The findings confirmed a significant relationship between youth involvement in empowerment programs and crime reduction. It also attests to the fact that lack of financial capacity drives youths to crime and that when youths are effectively empowered through education and skill development and are properly funded, including other employment opportunities, it addresses the root causes of major social vices generated by poverty, unemployment, and a lack of social cohesion. This fosters a sense of purpose and belonging among the youth, thereby contributing to the long-term stability and safety of their communities, states, and nations. The study recommends that the government and other agencies emphasize the importance of incorporating social disorganization theory into designing and implementing youth empowerment initiatives by focusing on community-level factors and their impact on individual behavior, through which policymakers and practitioners can create more targeted interventions that address the immediate needs of youth.

Ethical approval and consent

Ethical approval for the study was sought and obtained from Landmark University Research Ethics Committee. Ethical Approval Reference No: LMUIREC/HSU/003/2025.

Written consents were also obtained from respondents.