Project – Youth Unemployment and Crime Management Strategies in Selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Youth unemployment has become an important socioeconomic and public-security concern in many developing countries because employment provides young people not only with income but also with opportunities for social participation, independence and productive engagement. The International Labour Organization (ILO) observes that young people face particular difficulties in the transition from school to work, including limited access to decent employment, skills mismatches and inadequate opportunities for productive labour-market participation. In Nigeria, these challenges are significant because of the country’s large youthful population and the limited capacity of the formal labour market to absorb all new labour-market entrants. The ILO’s Nigeria Youth Country Brief identifies continuing challenges in youth labour-market outcomes and the school-to-work transition, while the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan emphasizes employability, entrepreneurship, employment, and equality and rights as major intervention areas (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2023, 2024).

The Nigerian labour market has experienced substantial changes in recent years, and unemployment needs to be understood alongside other forms of labour underutilisation. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the unemployment rate in Nigeria was 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, while the youth unemployment rate for persons aged 15–24 years was 8.4%; the corresponding rate for persons aged 25–34 years was 7.5%. These figures demonstrate that young people remain an important population within labour-market policy discussions, although unemployment statistics alone do not capture the broader problems of underemployment, informality, insecure work and inadequate earnings. The ILO similarly notes that Nigeria continues to face structural labour-market challenges, including weak labour productivity, labour-market information gaps and skills mismatches (National Bureau of Statistics [NBS], 2024; ILO, 2023).

The relationship between unemployment and crime has attracted considerable attention in criminological and economic scholarship. Becker’s (1968) economic theory of crime proposes that individuals may compare the expected benefits of illegal activity with its expected costs, including the probability and severity of punishment. From this perspective, legitimate employment can affect the opportunity structure within which individuals make decisions, because employment may provide legal income and increase the opportunity cost of involvement in crime. Freeman (1996) similarly found that weak labour-market conditions among young and less-skilled men could contribute to criminal involvement, although the relationship between unemployment and crime is complex and should not be interpreted as meaning that unemployed people are inherently criminal.

Strain theory provides another explanation for why persistent unemployment may be associated with some forms of deviant behaviour. Agnew (1992) argues that individuals can experience strain when they are unable to achieve positively valued goals, lose valued sources of support, or experience adverse conditions. In societies where economic success and material achievement are strongly valued, prolonged unemployment may generate frustration, perceived deprivation and pressure, particularly where young people lack legitimate opportunities for achieving socially valued goals. Nevertheless, strain does not automatically result in criminal behaviour because individuals respond to difficult circumstances differently, and social support, family structures, personal values and institutional controls can influence the response to unemployment (Agnew, 1992).

Crime management therefore extends beyond arrest and prosecution to include preventive, community-based and socioeconomic approaches. The Nigeria Police Force has promoted community policing as an approach that involves citizens and local stakeholders in identifying security threats and developing responses to local security challenges. Its community-policing framework recognizes the importance of partnerships involving traditional leaders, youth organisations, religious bodies, market groups, transport unions, community associations and other stakeholders. The Nigeria Police Force has also emphasized the role of community policing officers in crime detection and prevention, conflict resolution, intelligence gathering and maintaining public order (Nigeria Police Force, 2020).

Community conditions can also shape the effectiveness of crime-management strategies. Sampson and Groves (1989), in their test of social-disorganization theory, demonstrated that structural characteristics of communities can influence levels of social organization and, consequently, crime and delinquency. Their work emphasizes the importance of informal social control, community networks and organizational participation in maintaining order. This perspective is relevant to local government areas because crime prevention does not take place in an institutional vacuum; it operates within particular communities where employment opportunities, social networks, family structures, policing arrangements and community participation differ. Effective crime management at the local level therefore requires attention to both law-enforcement capacity and the social conditions that shape vulnerability to crime (Sampson & Groves, 1989).

The issue has particular relevance to Ogun State because the state occupies an important socioeconomic position in southwestern Nigeria and has a large number of communities located along major commercial and transportation corridors. The Ogun State Government’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework identifies crime and security threats among the risks facing the state and reports government collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, investment in community policing, the Ogun State Security Network, the Ogun State Security Trust Fund and the Joint Security Intervention Squad. At the same time, the state has implemented employment-oriented interventions such as the Ogun Skills Fund, which focuses on market-relevant vocational and technical training, entrepreneurship and employability support for youths, unemployed adults and other groups (Ogun State Government, 2024; Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2026).

Recent empirical evidence further demonstrates the importance of investigating the issue within specific Ogun State communities rather than relying only on national-level statistics. A 2025 study by Sofadekan, Soluade and Osifeso examined youth unemployment and kidnapping in Ijebu Ode and Sagamu Local Government Areas and identified employment opportunities, education and skills, economic conditions and other socioeconomic factors as issues relevant to the relationship between youth unemployment and kidnapping. More recent research in Ijebu Ode has likewise examined structural factors such as vocational training, access to startup capital, curriculum-labour-market mismatch and employment practices in relation to youth unemployment (Sofadekan et al., 2025; Adewale et al., 2026).

The relationship between youth unemployment and crime, however, should not be treated as automatic or uniform across all communities. A Nigerian study by Kazeem and Egbewole (2021), for example, found that youth unemployment had a statistically significant but marginal effect on crime proneness in the locations studied, illustrating that other demographic, social and environmental variables may also be important. Similarly, contemporary Nigerian research continues to describe the relationship between unemployment and crime as multidimensional rather than purely economic (Kazeem & Egbewole, 2021; Oyesanya & Leshoro, 2026).

Consequently, examining youth unemployment together with crime-management strategies is important for understanding whether employment-related interventions, community policing, youth engagement, intelligence gathering, surveillance, public enlightenment and community participation are adequately addressing local security concerns. The Nigeria Police Force has recently continued to emphasize preventive policing, youth engagement and partnerships with communities as part of crime prevention, while Ogun State has identified both employment development and community security as policy priorities (Nigeria Police Force, 2026; Ogun State Government, 2024).

It is against this background that this study investigates Youth Unemployment and Crime Management Strategies in Selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State, with particular attention to selected communities in Ijebu Ode and Sagamu Local Government Areas. The study seeks to examine the level and perceived causes of youth unemployment, determine the forms of crime associated with socioeconomic vulnerability among youths, examine existing crime-management strategies, and assess the perceived effectiveness of those strategies. The study is expected to provide empirical information that can assist policymakers, local government authorities, security agencies, youth-development organisations and community stakeholders in designing interventions that combine employment opportunities with appropriate crime-prevention measures.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Youth unemployment remains a significant socioeconomic challenge in Nigeria despite successive government policies and programmes aimed at improving employment opportunities, entrepreneurship and skills development. The NBS reported a youth unemployment rate of 8.4% among persons aged 15–24 years in the first quarter of 2024, while the ILO continues to identify school-to-work transition difficulties, skills mismatches and weaknesses in employment services as important labour-market concerns. These challenges become particularly important at the local level, where young people may have limited access to formal employment, vocational training, startup capital and reliable labour-market information (NBS, 2024; ILO, 2023).

The problem becomes more complex when prolonged unemployment occurs alongside poverty, social exclusion, weak community institutions and exposure to criminal networks. Although unemployment does not mean that an individual will commit crime, criminological theories suggest that economic deprivation, blocked opportunities and weak social controls can constitute conditions under which some individuals may become vulnerable to delinquency and other forms of offending (Agnew, 1992; Sampson & Groves, 1989). Nigerian evidence also presents mixed findings regarding the strength of the relationship, making it necessary to investigate the relationship within particular communities rather than assuming that unemployment has the same effect everywhere (Kazeem & Egbewole, 2021).

In Ogun State, the problem is important because the state government itself identifies crime as a security risk and has developed several institutional responses involving community policing, security networks and other security interventions. At the same time, the state has introduced skills-development and employment initiatives intended to improve the employability and economic participation of youths and unemployed adults. The coexistence of employment interventions and continuing security concerns raises questions about the extent to which existing strategies are reaching vulnerable youths and whether crime-management approaches adequately address the socioeconomic dimensions of insecurity (Ogun State Government, 2024; Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2026).

Furthermore, existing research in Ogun State has provided evidence concerning youth unemployment and particular crimes, including kidnapping, but there remains a need for studies that examine unemployment alongside broader crime-management strategies at the local-government level. The study by Sofadekan et al. (2025) focused specifically on youth unemployment and kidnapping in Ijebu Ode and Sagamu, while more recent research in Ijebu Ode has concentrated on causes of youth unemployment. These studies provide useful evidence but also demonstrate the need for continued local research examining how employment conditions interact with crime-prevention mechanisms, community participation and security responses (Sofadekan et al., 2025; Adewale et al., 2026).

The central problem, therefore, is the need to establish empirically how youth unemployment relates to crime-management concerns in selected local government areas of Ogun State and whether existing strategies adequately respond to the realities experienced by young people and communities. Without locally grounded evidence, policymakers and security stakeholders may have difficulty determining which dimensions of unemployment require greater attention and how employment-oriented interventions can complement conventional and community-based crime-management strategies. This study therefore focuses on selected local government areas of Ogun State to generate evidence on youth unemployment, crime-related vulnerability and the strategies used to manage crime at the community level.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between youth unemployment and crime-management strategies in selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the level and major socioeconomic factors associated with youth unemployment in the selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State;
2. identify the major forms of crime perceived to be associated with youth socioeconomic vulnerability in the selected Local Government Areas;
3. examine the crime-management strategies employed by security agencies, local authorities and community stakeholders in the selected Local Government Areas; and
4. assess the perceived effectiveness of existing crime-management strategies in addressing crime-related challenges associated with youth unemployment in the selected Local Government Areas.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What is the level of youth unemployment and what major socioeconomic factors are associated with youth unemployment in the selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State?
2. What are the major forms of crime perceived to be associated with youth socioeconomic vulnerability in the selected Local Government Areas?
3. What crime-management strategies are employed by security agencies, local authorities and community stakeholders in the selected Local Government Areas?
4. How effective are the existing crime-management strategies in addressing crime-related challenges associated with youth unemployment in the selected Local Government Areas?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between youth unemployment and the effectiveness of crime-management strategies in the selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to the Ogun State Government because it will provide evidence concerning the relationship between youth employment conditions and local security challenges. The findings may assist policymakers in designing employment and skills-development interventions that respond more directly to the circumstances of unemployed youths.

The study will also be useful to local government authorities. Local governments operate close to communities and are therefore positioned to identify youth unemployment, community-level insecurity and local socioeconomic problems. Findings from the study may assist local authorities in developing youth-focused programmes, community engagement initiatives and partnerships with relevant security and employment institutions.

Security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force and other community-security stakeholders, may benefit from the study because it will provide information on community perceptions of existing crime-management strategies. The findings may contribute to discussions on community policing, intelligence gathering, public enlightenment, youth engagement and preventive approaches to crime.

The study will also be relevant to youth organisations, civil society organisations, religious organisations and community associations. These groups can use the findings to better understand the socioeconomic pressures affecting young people and to develop programmes involving skills acquisition, mentorship, entrepreneurship, employment linkages and crime-prevention awareness.

Finally, the study will contribute to academic literature on unemployment and crime in Nigeria, particularly at the local-government level. It may serve as a reference for future researchers investigating youth unemployment, criminal behaviour, community policing, social control, employment policy and security management in Ogun State and other parts of Nigeria.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on Youth Unemployment and Crime Management Strategies in Selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State. For the purpose of the study, Ijebu Ode and Sagamu Local Government Areas are proposed as the selected study areas.

The content scope covers four major areas: youth unemployment and its socioeconomic determinants; forms of crime associated with youth vulnerability; crime-management strategies; and the perceived effectiveness of those strategies.

The population scope will focus on youths and relevant community/security stakeholders within the selected Local Government Areas. Depending on the approved methodology, respondents may include unemployed and employed youths, community leaders, security personnel, local government officials and other relevant stakeholders.

The study is delimited geographically to selected communities within Ijebu Ode and Sagamu Local Government Areas of Ogun State. It does not attempt to generalise its findings automatically to every local government area in Ogun State or to Nigeria as a whole.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Crime: An act or omission prohibited by law and subject to legal punishment. In this study, the term refers broadly to offences and criminal activities reported or perceived within the selected communities.

Crime Management: The organised measures employed by government, security agencies and community stakeholders to prevent, detect, control and respond to criminal activities.

Crime-Management Strategies: Specific approaches used to prevent and control crime, including community policing, surveillance, intelligence gathering, patrol, public enlightenment, youth engagement, conflict resolution and collaboration between security agencies and communities.

Local Government Area (LGA): A recognised administrative unit of government below the state level in Nigeria.

Youth: Young persons within the age category specified for the study in accordance with the relevant Nigerian policy and research framework.

Youth Unemployment: A condition in which young persons who are available for and seeking work do not have employment. The study recognises that unemployment is distinct from underemployment and other forms of labour underutilisation.

Community Policing: A policing approach that emphasises partnership between the police, citizens and community institutions in identifying security concerns and developing appropriate responses.

Unemployed Youth: A young person who is without employment, is available for work and is actively seeking employment in accordance with the relevant labour-force definition.

1.9 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organised into five chapters. Chapter One presents the introduction, background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, hypothesis, significance, scope and operational definitions. Chapter Two will review relevant literature and theoretical perspectives concerning youth unemployment, crime and crime-management strategies. Chapter Three will present the research methodology, including research design, population, sample and sampling procedure, research instrument, validity, reliability, data-collection procedure and method of data analysis. Chapter Four will present and analyse the data collected from respondents and discuss the findings. Chapter Five will contain the summary, conclusion, recommendations and suggestions for further studies.

Project – Youth Unemployment and Crime Management Strategies in Selected Local Government Areas of Ogun State