In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch (IJR)
e-ISSN: 2348-6848
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Vol. 12 Issue 11
No embe 2025
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Copy igh au ho s 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17737417
You h Unemploymen and Na ional Secu i y in Nige ia: The Case o Na ional
You h P og ammes
Iheko omadu Chisomaga Happiness
Rhema Uni e si y Nige ia, Aba
[email p o ec ed]
Iheko omadu Pe onilla Chioma
Abia S a e College o Educa ion Technical, A ochukwu
[email p o ec ed]om
I eanyi Jonah Onuoha
Uni e si y o Nige ia, Nsukka
I ea[email p o ec ed]
Okpunuzo Vic o ia Ndudi
Fede al College o Educa ion Technical, Asaba
[email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
One o he bigges socie al issues acing he wo ld now is insecu i y. Nige ia's you h unemploymen
a e is cu en ly ising as a esul o he coun y's g owing web o ins abili y. Many young people
who ha e g adua ed om he coun y's uni e si ies a e unemployed, dislike hei deg ee o
educa ion, and a e unwilling o con ibu e o he na ion's economic g ow h. In addi ion o posing a
se ious isk o human li e, you h unemploymen s ands in he way o economic g ow h and he igh
agains po e y. This essay made he case ha Nige ia's high a e o you h unemploymen is closely
linked o he coun y's high a e o insecu i y, and ha in o de o achie e sus ainable de elopmen ,
he go e nmen mus ake he coun y's insecu i y issues se iously in o de o educe you h
unemploymen . Documen a y sou ces we e used o ga he da a, and con en analysis was used o
analysis. The s udy was based on he undamen al ideas o John Dolla d's us a ed agg ession
heo y (1939). In o de o comba insecu i y and p omo e o e all de elopmen , he epo
ecommended ha he go e nmen es ablish job oppo uni ies wi h he goal o lowe ing
unemploymen and po e y.
Keywo ds: Secu i y challenges. Unemploymen , C isis, Na ional secu i y, Nige ia
1 In oduc ion
You h unemploymen has g own o be a majo wo ldwide conce n, especially in eme ging na ions
whe e he issue is being made wo se by ex ao dina ily apid popula ion g ow h and a lack o
In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch (IJR)
e-ISSN: 2348-6848
p-ISSN: 2348-795X
Vol. 12 Issue 11
No embe 2025
Recei ed: 2 No embe 2025 474
Re ised: 17 No embe 2025
Accep ed: 27 No embe 2025
Copy igh au ho s 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17737417
economic p ospec s. A ica, whe e na ions like Nige ia ha e some o he highes a es o you h
unemploymen , has he bigges you h unemploymen c isis. In addi ion o nega i ely a ec ing
human wellbeing, he issue poses se ious h ea s o bo h na ional secu i y and socioeconomic
ad ancemen . Nige ia, which is o una e o ha e a la ge and expanding you h popula ion, mus deal
wi h bo h escala ing secu i y issues and unemploymen (Onyekwena & Eke uche, 2019).
I has been demons a ed ha you h unemploymen inc eases ins abili y, iolence, and social un es .
You hs who a e us a ed wi h hei inancial si ua ion o en u n o c iminal ac i i y and
insu gency as a me hod o su i al.
Acu e unemploymen and po e y in Nige ia ha e been associa ed wi h he p esence o iolen
g oups like Boko Ha am in he no heas and mili ancy in he Nige Del a (Aghedo, 2012). Due o
hei ec ui men o unemployed and disillusioned you h, hese g oups no only pose di ec secu i y
isks bu also unde mine socioeconomic s abili y by in e e ing wi h ade, in es men , and
educa ion (Adesoji, 2010). The incompa ibili y o educa ional a ainmen wi h he demands o he
labo ma ke exace ba es he implica ions o you h unemploymen o na ional secu i y. The
majo i y o young Nige ians, e en hose wi h o mal educa ion, lack he skill se s ha businesses
equi e, which exace ba es he coun y's unemploymen a e (Igbinedion & Aisien, 2011).
The Human Capi al Theo y con ends ha in es ing in educa ion and skill is c ucial o achie ing
economic s abili y and g ow h (Becke , 1964). Howe e , Nige ia's labo ma ke is s ill
cha ac e ized by unemploymen despi e e o s o aise educa ional a ainmen . This has b ough
abou a di icul e a whe e economic ins abili y and insecu i y ein o ce each o he in a icious
cycle o unde de elopmen . Gi en he c ucial connec ion be ween you h unemploymen and
na ional secu i y, i is impe a i e o in es iga e he causes and e ec s o his phenomenon.
Addi ionally, i is mo e impo an han e e o assess he e icacy o go e nmen policies mean o
lowe unemploymen and imp o e secu i y.
1. Al hough a numbe o p og ams, such he Na ional You h Se ice Co ps (NYSC) and he Na ional
Social In es men P og am (NSIP), ha e been pu in o place, li le is known abou how hey a ec
unemploymen and na ional secu i y (NBS, 2023).
This essay's objec i e is o in es iga e he connec ion be ween young unemploymen and na ional
secu i y in Nige ia and e alua e he wide ami ica ions o socioeconomic de elopmen and
s abili y. In pa icula , he esea ch will: Examine he deg ee o which Nige ia's na ional secu i y
isks, such as insu gencies, c iminal ac i i y, and socie al un es , a e in luenced by you h
unemploymen .
2. Assess he success o cu en go e nmen ini ia i es including he Na ional You h Se ice Co ps
(NYSC) and he Na ional Social In es men P og am (NSIP), which a e designed o lowe you h
unemploymen and imp o e na ional secu i y.
3. Make policy sugges ions o educe you h unemploymen and ad ance na ional secu i y in o de o
suppo Nige ia's long- e m socioeconomic de elopmen .
In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch (IJR)
e-ISSN: 2348-6848
p-ISSN: 2348-795X
Vol. 12 Issue 11
No embe 2025
Recei ed: 2 No embe 2025 475
Re ised: 17 No embe 2025
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Copy igh au ho s 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17737417
2 Concep ual Cla i ica ions
You h Unemploymen
Nume ous academics ha e examined he economic and social ami ica ions o he looming
ca as ophe in he ield o you h unemploymen and i s implica ions o Nige ia's na ional secu i y.
Howe e , he e a e gaps in a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he complex ela ionship be ween
young unemploymen , na ional secu i y, and socioeconomic de elopmen , especially when i comes
o policy in e en ions. Nume ous s udies ha e con i med he link be ween Nige ia's young
unemploymen a e and na ional secu i y h ea s. Acco ding o Aghedo and Eke (2013), Nige ia's
high you h unemploymen a e has aised secu i y issues in he na ion, mos no ably he eme gence o
insu gen g oups like Boko Ha am in he no heas . Such g oups ha e a endency o ec ui ang y
and unemployed you hs, using hei economic suscep ibili y o d i e
adicalism and iolence. This is consis en wi h Okwuosa's (2015) asse ion ha a high
unemploymen a e os e s adicalism, pa icula ly among unde p i ileged and ma ginalized g oups.
Addi ionally, Ezi im e al. (2017) examined he icious loop be ween unemploymen and insecu i y,
poin ing ou ha economic p ospec s a e exace ba ed by insu gency-d i en in as uc u e damage,
esul ing in a cycle o po e y and iolence. This is ue in places whe e long- e m unde de elopmen
and ins abili y a e caused by o ganiza ions like Boko Ha am and mili an s om he Nige Del a
(Oluwaseun & Lekan, 2018). These esul s clea ly show ha adolescen unemploymen con ibu es o
insecu i y, bu hey all sho o o e ing b oad emedies, especially when i comes o long- e m
policy in e en ions ha add ess bo h economic ma ginaliza ion and secu i y h ea s.
Go e nmen Policy and You h Unemploymen
Nume ous s udies ha e examined he Nige ian go e nmen 's e o s o educe young unemploymen
h ough policies and ini ia i es. Fo ins ance, Onyekwena and Eke uche (2019) examined how he
Na ional Social In es men P og am (NSIP) helps young people wi hou jobs ind wo k. Al hough
hey concede ha he p og am has some bene icial ou comes, hey con end ha because i is poo ly
unded, poo ly a ge ed, and co up , i s co e age and each a e s ill es ic ed. Du u (2021) placed
equal blame on he Na ional You h Se ice Co ps (NYSC), a guing ha because i only p o ides
empo a y employmen wi hou add essing s uc u al labo ma ke p oblems, i has no been able o
conside ably lowe you h unemploymen .
In a su ey o se e al Nige ian employmen ini ia i es, Ogundele (2020) ound ha while some
ini ia i es achie ed sho - e m success, hey we e unsus ainable due o inadequa e moni o ing and
assessmen sys ems. He emphasized he necessi y o a mo e comp ehensi e s a egy ha links
indus ializa ion ac ics and educa ional changes o he you h employmen p og am. Howe e , his
assessmen does no go in o de ail abou how hese employmen p og am ailu es con ibu e o
secu i y p oblems, especially in uns able a eas, and how secu i y- ocused in e en ions and job
de elopmen can coexis .
In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch (IJR)
e-ISSN: 2348-6848
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Vol. 12 Issue 11
No embe 2025
Recei ed: 2 No embe 2025 476
Re ised: 17 No embe 2025
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Copy igh au ho s 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17737417
Socio-Economic Impac o You h Unemploymen
Beyond issues o na ional secu i y, Nige ian young unemploymen has ex ensi e socioeconomic
ami ica ions. Ajakaiye e al. (2016) obse ed ha con inuous unemploymen among young people
leads o inc easing po e y, social disillusionmen , and es ic ed social mobili y, he e o e
engende ing a sense o ma ginaliza ion and disen anchised. As demons a ed by he #EndSARS
p o es s, which s a ed as a mo emen agains police agg ession bu we e a e lec ion o deepe
anxie ies abou unemploymen and economic s agna ion, hese con ibu e o bo h insecu i y and
la ge socie al un es (Odu uwa, 2021).
Acco ding o Nwagwu's (2022) c i ical s udy o he economic cos o unemploymen , Nige ia's
pu sui o sus ainable de elopmen is se e ely hampe ed by los po en ial ea nings, p oduc i i y, and
human capi al de elopmen . While hese s udies assess he economic e ec s o unemploymen , hey
un he isk o unde es ima ing i s psychological e ec s, especially he way he us a ion-agg ession
mechanism encou ages young people o engage in c iminal ac i i y and insu gency a opic ha me i s
u he in es iga ion. The e a e s ill ce ain gaps in he ex ensi e body o esea ch ha has examined
he ela ionship be ween young unemploymen and na ional secu i y in Nige ia. The i s o hese is
ha , whe eas he majo i y o s udies ha e a emp ed o examine he o e all ela ionship be ween
unemploymen and insecu i y, e y ew ha e examined he geog aphical di e ences in he ways ha
adolescen unemploymen in luences secu i y ou comes. Fo example, while Boko Ha am's
insu gency has been well s udied, less is known abou how you h unemploymen impac s secu i y
condi ions in o he egions o he na ion, such as he Sou heas , whe e sepa a is up isings ha e
ecen ly gained momen um (Akinola, 2021). A be e comp ehension o egional a ia ion could lead
o mo e ocused and e ec i e policy esponses.
Second, he e hasn' been much empi ical esea ch on how secu i y-d i en in e en ions migh be
combined wi h job c ea ion, despi e he ac ha many go e nmen ini ia i es and policies a ge ed a
lowe ing unemploymen ha e been condemned o being unp oduc i e. In an a emp o lessen high-
isk you h g oups' suscep ibili y o iolen g oup ec ui men , ew esea ch p o ide p ac ical
sugges ions on how employmen p og ams migh be used o di ec ly igh hese o ganiza ions.
Fu he mo e, addi ional s udy is equi ed o de e mine how educa ion and skill-building ini ia i es
migh be connec ed o coun e e o ism and de- adicaliza ion ini ia i es, especially in Nige ia's
no he n a eas.
Finally, he e isn' a ho ough analysis o how he digi al economy and echnology sec o s con ibu e
o educing you h unemploymen in he li e a u e. The eme gence o Nige ia's echnology sec o ,
especially in ci ies like Lagos, p esen s an unexplo ed oppo uni y o educe you h unemploymen .
Howe e , esea ch on unemploymen in sec o s like oil and ag icul u e has been sca ce. The e o e,
he e is a lack o esea ch on how he coun y may use i s de eloping ech sec o o suppo long- e m
employmen o i s you h.
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Copy igh au ho s 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17737417
3 Me hodology
Theo e ical Pe spec i e
F us a ion-Agg ession Theo y is a sui able heo e ical amewo k o his s udy in o de o
comp ehend he connec ion be ween Nige ian na ional secu i y and you h unemploymen . The hesis,
which was i s pu o h by Dolla d e al. in 1939, asse s ha us a ion b ough on by unme wan s
o una ainable objec i es can igge agg ession, which can ake many di e en o ms, such as
c ime, iolence, o socie al un es . Economic us a ion b ough on by unemploymen , pa icula ly
among young people, can esul in agg essi eness ha mani es s i sel in sel -des uc i e beha io s
such as in ol emen in c iminal ac i i y, insu gencies, and ex emis ac i i ies. This hypo hesis is
used in he majo i y o sociological esea ch in es iga ing he causes o iolen conduc , and i is
use ul o conside while a emp ing o unde s and how you h unemploymen in Nige ia c ea es
insecu i y.
The F us a ion-Agg ession Theo y has some laws e en i i is use ul in desc ibing he psychological
p ocesses by which ha dship and unemploymen may esul in iolence. Agg ession is no usually he
esul o us a ion, acco ding o c i ics. Fo ins ance, Be kowi z (1989) would a gue ha al hough
us a ion may aise he isk o agg essi eness, he link is media ed by o he ac o s, such as an
indi idual's empe amen , social con ex , o he a ailabili y o al e na e channels. By doing his, he
heo y migh simpli y he many ac o s ha con ibu e o iolence in o a single, di ec ela ionship
be ween ange and hos ili y. Fu he mo e, he heo y ails o accoun o he many ins i u ional and
socioeconomic elemen s ha unde lie iolence. The adicaliza ion and mili ancy o young people in
Nige ia is also signi ican ly in luenced by po e y, illi e acy, and egional dispa i ies. While
youngs e s who a e us a ed by unemploymen may u n o iolence, poli ical, ideological, and
social issues also play a ole in hei ec ui men in o mili ancy o insu gen g oups like Boko Ha am
(Adesoji, 2010). I he F us a ion-Agg ession Theo y is applied wi hou aking hese o he elemen s
in o accoun , he causali y o insecu i y may no be ully explained. F us a ion-Agg ession Theo y is
ne e heless highly applicable o he psychological e ec s o you h unemploymen in Nige ia,
no wi hs anding i s laws. Nige ian you hs in bo h he no he n and Nige Del a egions su e om
widesp ead po e y, a lack o economic p ospec s, and young unemploymen . Such economic
ma ginaliza ion causes widesp ead dissa is ac ion, which mili an and insu gen o ganiza ions
in en ionally exploi by o e ing o use young people wi hou jobs as a ehicle o agg ession, usually
in iolen o ex eme o ms (Aghedo & Eke, 2013). Fo ins ance, unemploymen is compa a i ely
high, especially among young people, in he no he n Nige ian egion whe e bandi y and he Boko
Ha am insu gency a e mos p e alen . The egion's socioeconomic ma ginaliza ion and he discon en
caused by his economic imbalance p o ide an ideal en i onmen o adical ec ui men . Boko
Ha am exploi s he despe a ion o young people wi hou jobs by o e ing hem pecunia y ewa ds and
a sense o pu pose o engaging in iolen ac s (Adesoji, 2010).
In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch (IJR)
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Simila o his, young people wi hou jobs in he Nige Del a ha e long u ned hei esen men
owa d mul ina ional co po a ions and he Nige ian go e nmen 's exploi a ion o he a ea in o
insu gency. The disg un led young people ha e only eso ed o use iolence as a way o en hei
us a ion abou unemploymen and en i onmen al de e io a ion (Aghedo & Eke, 2013). Because
unemploymen uels esen men ha e en ually esul s in iolence and insecu i y, he us a ion-
agg ession mechanism p edomina es in bo h si ua ions. The po en ial o F us a ion-Agg ession
Theo y o unde s and he psychological and beha io al d i e s o iolence associa ed o
unemploymen jus i ies i s use in his s udy. As demons a ed by he ise in mili ancy and insu gency
in Nige ia, unemploymen , especially among young people, is a majo sou ce o esen men ha can
u n in o iolence.
The idea makes i possible o examine how economic ha dship, especially unemploymen ,
con ibu es o iolence and secu i y isks. The heo y does a good job o highligh ing he
psychological elemen s ha lead young people wi hou jobs o engage in iolen beha io , e en
hough i is unable o ully accoun o all o he socioeconomic o ces a wo k. Examining he
speci ic causes o c iminali y and insu gency pa icipa ion, which a e gene ally dis ega ded in mo e
comp ehensi e socio-economic assessmen s, equi es a psychological ocus (Onyekwena &
Eke uche, 2019). Second, because i implies ha one o he main causes o na ional secu i y issues is
unemploymen us a ion, he heo y is consis en wi h empi ical da a in Nige ia, whe e you h
unemploymen has been ound o co espond wi h ising insecu i y (Oluwaseun & Lekan, 2018).
The s udy collec ed da a using a combina ion o su ey and documen a y me hods. We used ocus
g oup discussions (FGD) and key in o man in e iews (KII) o he su ey. The decision was made
because i allowed he esea che o lea n mo e abou he esponden s' de ailed pe spec i es and he
many si ua ions ela ed o he opic a hand. In o ma ion om books, jou nal a icles, go e nmen
documen s, o icial and ins i u ional documen s like he go e nmen gaze e, and o he pe inen
li e a u e like con e ence pape s, pe iodicals, unpublished pape s, and o he ela ed ma e ials we e
ga he ed o he documen a y me hod.
In o de o analyze gene a ed da a abou he s udy and iden i y pa e ns in he communica ion con en
o hese ma e ials, he s udy employs con en analysis. The e o e, con en analysis is a quali a i e
esea ch echnique ha en ails a me hodical assessmen o ex s in o de o in e p e and code ex ual
ma e ial in o de o d aw eliable and epea able conclusions. The quali a i e desc ip i e app oach o
da a analysis, which is based on con en analysis, will be used o analyze he da a so p oduced.
4 The con ibu ion o you h unemploymen o insu gencies, c iminali y, and social
un es in Nige ia
You h unemploymen in Nige ia has become a signi ican sou ce o challenges o na ional secu i y,
mos ly in he o m o social up isings, c iminal ac i i y, and insu gencies. The F us a ion-
Agg ession hypo hesis p o ides a use ul amewo k o unde s anding how you h unemploymen and
economic ha dship can uel iolence and insecu i y. This heo y holds ha people who a e ang y
abou un ul illed needs o un ul illed d eams may u n hei ange in o des uc i e beha io s like
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engaging in iolen p o es s, c iminal ac i i y, o insu gencies. This is especially ue in Nige ian
egions wi h high unemploymen a es, whe e social ins abili y and complain s a e exace ba ed by
economic ma ginaliza ion.
You h Unemploymen and Insu gency
The ise o insu gen g oups, such as hose in no he n Nige ia, whe e Boko Ha am has used
economic conce ns o enlis disen anchised you h, is also closely linked o you h unemploymen .
The no heas e n s a es o Bo no, Yobe, and Adamawa whe e Boko Ha am is ac i e ha e especially
high unemploymen a es, acco ding o Onyekwena and Eke uche (2019). When young people in
hese places a e economically ma ginalized and denied access o oppo uni ies and basic se ices, i
os e s an en i onmen ha is conduci e o he eme gence o dissa is ac ion. Acco ding o he
F us a ion-Agg ession Theo y, young people who a e disillusioned and unable o ind wo k o a
u u e a e mo e likely o join ex emis g oups ha gi e hem money, a sense o belonging, and a
pu pose (Aghedo & Eke, 2013).
The key o Boko Ha am's success is i s capaci y o ake ad an age o his dissa is ac ion. Acco ding
o Adesoji (2010), he mo emen p o ides young people who a e upse wi h hei economic
ci cums ances wi h a o um o exp ess hei ange h ough agg essi e wo ds. The F us a ion-
Agg ession Theo y explains why young people om low-income backg ounds migh be willing o
ake pa in iolen mo emen s: hei esen men o un ul illed inancial demands is con e ed in o
hos ili y di ec ed agains he go e nmen o o he pe cei ed ad e sa ies. Boko Ha am's iolence
mani es s i sel in a acks on ci izens, educa ional ins i u ions, and go e nmen buildings, dis up ing
he a ea and posing se ious challenges o na ional secu i y.
You h Unemploymen and C iminali y
The key o Boko Ha am's success is i s capaci y o ake ad an age o his us a ion. Acco ding o
Adesoji (2010), he mo emen p o ides a o um o disg un led eenage s o exp ess hei age
h ough ha sh he o ic, shi ing hei economic g ie ances o insu gen ac i i ies. The F us a ion-
Agg ession Theo y explains why young people om low-income amilies would be willing o ake
pa in iolen mo emen s: hei esen men o un ul illed inancial demands is con e ed in o
hos ili y di ec ed agains he go e nmen o o he pe cei ed ad e sa ies. Boko Ha am's hos ili y
mani es s i sel in a acks on ci izens, go e nmen buildings, and educa ional ins i u ions, dis up ing
he a ea and posing se ious isks o na ional secu i y.
Rising a es o you h unemploymen ha e coincided wi h an inc ease in iolen c imes including
a med obbe y and kidnapping o ansom in ci ies like Lagos, Abuja, and Po Ha cou . Nwagwu
(2022) no es ha young people a e d i en o conduc such c imes in o de o alle ia e hei inancial
oubles due o economic despai b ough on by unemploymen . This pa e n is explained by he
F us a ion-Agg ession Theo y, which shows how economic ha dship uels hos ili y, which is
subsequen ly di ec ed owa d c iminal ac i i y. In addi ion o des oying social o de , his ise in
c ime weakens na ional secu i y by making people mo e uns able and a aid.
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You h Unemploymen and Social Un es
Social ins abili y, such as allies, s ikes, and iolen demons a ions, is ano he way ha you h
unemploymen in Nige ia mani es s i sel . Acco ding o he F us a ion-Agg ession Theo y, people
who a e economically us a ed o an ex ended pe iod o ime may use social mo emen s o
challenge he s a us quo as a collec i e o m o agg ession. You h-led demons a ions in Nige ia, like
he #EndSARS mo emen , o e a gla ing illus a ion o how social ins abili y can be exace ba ed by
economic dissa is ac ion (Odu uwa, 2021). Police b u ali y was he ini ial ocus o he p o es s, bu
hey soon sp ead o include complain s abou po e y, unemploymen , and a lack o economic
possibili ies o young people.
Many Nige ian youngs e s a e deeply us a ed wi h he go e nmen and he economic sys em, as
e idenced by he #EndSARS allies in 2020, which we e mos ly o ganized by unemployed and
unde employed you hs. Acco ding o he dissa is ac ion-Agg ession Theo y, when young people
belie e ha s uc u al obs acles like co up ion, nepo ism, and bad go e nance a e impeding hei
u u e chances, hei dissa is ac ion o e economic dep i a ion can esul in collec i e ac s o
agg ession. The demons a ions, which descended in o iolence in a numbe o egions o he na ion,
demons a ed how social hos ili y may esul om economic dissa is ac ion and pose a se ious h ea
o he s abili y o he coun y (Odu uwa, 2021). Nige ia's high you h unemploymen a e, which is
now expec ed o be abo e 42% (NBS, 2023), causes a g ea deal o us a ion, especially among
young people who, despi e hei educa ional backg ounds, a e unable o ind ul illing job. As his
annoyance g ows, i equen ly shows up as hos ili y, whe he h ough in ol emen in c iminal
ac i i y, socie al ins abili y, o insu gencies.
5 E alua ion o Go e nmen P og ams Add essing You h Unemploymen and Na ional
Secu i y in Nige ia
In an e o o lowe you h unemploymen and add ess he ensuing na ional secu i y issues, Nige ia's
go e nmen has implemen ed a numbe o ini ia i es in ecen yea s. The Na ional Social In es men
P og am (NSIP) and he Na ional You h Se ice Co ps (NYSC) a e wo o he mos p ominen
ini ia i es. The goals o he NYSC and NSIP a e o imp o e you h employabili y, p omo e na ional
in eg a ion, and educe socioeconomic gaps. The e ec i eness o hese ini ia i es in accomplishing
hei goals, howe e , is deba able.
Na ional You h Se ice Co ps (NYSC)
Founded in 1973, he NYSC is a manda o y one-yea p og am o Nige ian g adua es wi h he goal o
p omo ing you h employmen and na ional in eg a ion. The NYSC's deploymen o ecen g adua es
o a ious s a es ac oss he coun y enhances cul u al in eg a ion and educes e hnic ensions, which
a e ypically associa ed wi h na ional secu i y issues (Adeyemi, 2016). In o de o gi e young people
he skills hey need o sel -employmen and educe unemploymen , i includes aining on skill
acquisi ion and en ep eneu ship de elopmen (SAED). While he NYSC has been gene ally
In e na ional Jou nal o Resea ch (IJR)
e-ISSN: 2348-6848
p-ISSN: 2348-795X
Vol. 12 Issue 11
No embe 2025
Recei ed: 2 No embe 2025 481
Re ised: 17 No embe 2025
Accep ed: 27 No embe 2025
Copy igh au ho s 2025 DOI: HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.5281/ZENODO.17737417
success ul in p omo ing na ional in eg a ion and p o iding you hs wi h oppo uni ies o expe ience
in di e en s a es, i has ailed o mi iga e unemploymen has no been as p ecise. Acco ding o
Adebayo and Oka o (2018), he majo i y o youngs e s end hei se ice wi hou gaining he
necessa y en ep eneu ship skills o become employe s. The SAED p ojec , while noble, is
some imes unde unded, and pa icipan s complain ha he aining hey ecei e is insu icien o
enable hem o s a hei own businesses. Fu he mo e, he NYSC scheme does no p io i ize
ackling s uc u al challenges in he Nige ian labo ma ke , such as labo sho ages and skill
imbalances ha con ibu e o he o e supply o g adua e unemploymen (Adebayo & Oka o , 2018).
Second, while NYSC has helped o alle ia e e hnic ensions, pa icula ly in he scheme's ea ly yea s,
i s unc ion in na ional secu i y has weakened in ecen yea s due o egional insecu i y. The
deploymen o co ps membe s o c isis egions such as he No h Eas , whe e Boko Ha am is loca ed,
has aised conce ns abou hei sa e y. A s ing o a acks on co ps membe s, pa icula ly in he
No h, has p omp ed calls o es uc u e he p og am (Oluwaseun, 2020). As a esul , while he
NYSC con inues o play an impo an ole in na ional in eg a ion, i s abili y o con ibu e o
unemploymen e adica ion and na ional secu i y enhancemen is cons ained by a numbe o
s uc u al and unc ional issues.
Na ional Social In es men P og am (NSIP)
The NSIP, which was es ablished in 2016, is a comp ehensi e p og am aimed a educing
unemploymen and po e y h ough a se ies o social wel a e ac ions. The NSIP is buil a ound ou
essen ial pilla s: N-Powe , Condi ional Cash T ans e s (CCT), he Go e nmen En e p ise and
Empowe men P og amme (GEEP), and he Na ional Home-G own School Feeding P og amme
(NHGSFP). The N-Powe p og amme, which ocuses on p o iding empo a y jobs and oca ional
aining o unemployed youngs e s, has had he mos di ec impac on you h unemploymen .
The N-Powe ini ia i e has had some success in gi ing empo a y jobs o Nige ian you hs. Acco ding
o s a is ics, o e 500,000 you hs ha e bene i ed om he ini ia i e since i s commencemen (NBS,
2022). You hs a e gi en he op ion o labo in ields such as educa ion, heal h, and ag icul u e while
also ecei ing s ipends. Howe e , he N-Powe p og am has been c i icized o i s sho du a ion and
lack o sus ainabili y. Mos bene icia ies a e wo king o only wo yea s be o e being le wi h no
u u e possibili ies o long- e m employmen and e u ning o he anks o he unemployed.
Ano he majo issue o N-Powe is he lack o a clea exi s a egy o bene icia ies. Many
pa icipan s a e anxious abou hei ca ee p ospec s once he p og am ends because he skills hey
lea ned a e ypically no ma ke able. Ogechi (2021) unde s ands ha wi hou p ope pos -p og am
suppo , such as c edi access o ull- ime employmen , N-Powe 's long- e m impac on young
unemploymen is jus epheme al. The emaining NSIP componen s, such as he Go e nmen
En e p ise and Empowe men P og amme (GEEP), which p o ides mic oloans o small en e p ises
and Condi ional Cash T ans e s (CCT) o low-income amilies, ha e simila ly had issues wi h
