AN EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF YOUTHS IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF IKWO LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL, EBONYI STATE, 2015-2020

AN EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF YOUTHS IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A STUDY OF IKWO LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL, EBONYI STATE, 2015-2020

Background of the study

Without a doubt, a country's growth is mainly determined by its youthful population's productivity and creativity. As a result, youths' contributions to national development cannot be overlooked in national development discussions. This category is made up of the workers who are needed to produce products and services. When their basic needs are fulfilled, youths can contribute to the country's peace and stability. Youths, according to Ozohu (2006), are key determinants of a nation's peace and stability. Adeline and Eme (2015), on the other side, believe that if Nigeria is to remain a viable entity, a solid strategy must be in place to harness the energy and ingenuity of the young population in order to accelerate economic growth.

Nigeria has a large population of youthful people with enormous untapped potential. However, many obstacles prevent them from actively participating in the nation's growth. Employment, health, and political engagement are just a few of the difficulties. They have stayed on the outside of the country's affairs, and their position has not been properly acknowledged. Youths are often left out of the creation, planning, and implementation of programs and policies that impact them. Many productive and enthusiastic youths stay jobless, suffer from bad health, and are unable to get adequate assistance. Some of them have unique requirements that must be met. People living on the streets, those with HIV/AIDS, and those with impairments are among them.

Nigeria's National Youth Policy acknowledges that youths are a valuable resource that may be used for the country's benefit (FGN, 2001). The place and importance of the Youths in the development process is clearly described by the Nigerian National Youths Policy in this way:

"Youth are one of the most valuable assets that any country can possess. They are not only legitimately regarded as future leaders, but they are also the greatest potential and actual investment in a country's development. They are a good indicator of a country's ability to reproduce as well as sustain itself. Their vitality, responsible behavior, and social roles are all positively correlated with their country's development (FGN, 2001)".

It is impossible to overstate the importance of youths in Nigeria's growth. In an area of the nation where capital creation is restricted, youths may be a source of labor inputs as well as human capital in production, improving productivity. When they are working, youths may be a dependable source of demand for the economy by engaging in consumer activities. Furthermore, Nigerian youths are critical in the creation of a new class of entrepreneurs that the country need.

In 1991, Nigeria's population of individuals aged 15 to 34 was estimated to be about 30 million, or one out of every three Nigerians (National Youth Policy, 2001). To update the data, a national population and housing census was performed in 2006. It revealed that Nigeria's young population has increased dramatically to 53 million people (NPC, 2014). Apart from numerical strength, there is a global trend toward emphasizing the primacy of youth in the developmental process, with national governments making deliberate efforts to create conditions that encourage youth to use their energy and resourcefulness for the growth and sustainable development of their countries. It was in the light of this development that the Nigerian Youth Organizations in a memorandum maintained that:

"Nigerian youth must be given a voice and a bigger say in how they are governed, as well as be permitted to play a larger part in leadership and government, so that they are adequately prepared to take on the mantle of leadership when the time comes." (National Youths Political Reform Conference, 2005).

 

Only in an atmosphere of peace, security, and stability can democracy and good government be fostered and maintained. When they are missing, not only does democracy and good government suffer, but also social development and the youth's future is jeopardized.

Youths must be empowered since they are an essential part of civic society. The young express their interests and needs as they engage with other players in the social system; they interact with appropriate political institutions and procedures to communicate their opinions and promote common interests. The need to educate and re-educate Nigerian youths on their roles is critical. This will help position and provide youths with access to effective engagement in national development, which is a way of incorporating them into the nation's governance decision-making process, nation-building activities where they are welcomed, and accurate and comprehensive information that will empower them to make healthy decisions.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a Nigerian national program in which youths who have finished a university degree program are sent to serve the country in states other than their own. Corps members are sent to their locations of assignment after a quasi-military indoctrination phase, where they are expected to not only work for eleven months in a normal employment, but also to start community development initiatives in the regions they serve. Members of the Corps work in their respective fields. English majors teach high school English, while agricultural graduates advise farmers on crops and chemicals. They are given stipends by the government.

Members of the Corps are reunited after their duty to talk about their experiences, march in a parade, and receive Certificates of National Service, which allow them to work in Nigeria. Despite the fact that neither incoming members nor their families like deployments to remote areas of Nigeria, a survey of ex-Corps members who were stationed away from home found that just one in ten thought the experience was bad in hindsight, with the remainder rating it as good (Enegwea, 1993).

I believe the NYSC is an excellent program based on my own experience. However, there is still more work to be done. Rather of terminating the program after a year and sending the youths out to look for work, which the overwhelming majority of them will not find, I propose that they be kept by their employers in their different areas of expertise or sent for national service. This may help to decrease the number of young youths who are jobless.

1.2 Statement of the problem

A country cannot grow without the active involvement of those who have the ability to lead it to its desired destination - the youths. Nation-building is a dynamic process that includes the often-ignored and undervalued young population. Youths are a huge and frequently underutilized resource for both immediate and long-term neighborhood and national development initiatives. They are also an important resource for any society's growth, development, and peaceful cohesiveness. When youths are involved in national problems and programs and given the opportunity to lead good change, they may actively engage in and contribute to decision-making on a variety of levels.

Apart from realizing that they are valued citizens of their countries, when youths engage in more sustained positive relationships with adults and fellow youths, such collaborations and participation may lead to skill development, enhancement, empowerment, and confidence-building, which will help prepare them for active participation in nation-building.

However, the current state of affairs in Nigeria has severely hampered the effective harnessing of youths' potential as social change agents. These issues are many, ranging from economic to social to cultural. Poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment, which plague the majority of Nigerian youths, have badly harmed their sensitivity and, in the long run, led to anti-social behavior in them, which is harmful to their health and the nation's growth. The continuation of these societal issues has produced an atmosphere in which self-serving politicians may easily manipulate youths. Poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment are all interconnected circumstances that create human needs and, as a result, a state of deprivation.

According to the National Youths Political Reform Conference (2005), stated that the government, having given due consideration to the importance of youths in sociopolitical, economic, and sustainable development, has determined that it is most desirable, necessary, and urgent to launch the National Youths Development Policy so that there will be a purposeful, focused, well-articulated, and well-directed effort aimed at tapping the youths' energy and resourcefulness and harnessing their potential.

In view of the above, the critical problem of establishing an enabling climate for youths to contribute their creative ability and ingenuity to the political and developmental processes should be given top importance. Given the proper conditions, Nigerian youths involved in the political and development processes should realize that they are political socializers. Rather of succumbing to greedy politicians' unwholesome aspirations to rig elections, youths should exercise good conscience and insist on due procedure and fair play. There are many youth groups with a wide range of interests. They may begin to investigate the political landscape in order to influence decision-making.

Young people will not be able to actively participate to national political and sustainable development processes unless they are consulted and engaged in the formulation of development plans. Youth involvement in decision-making according to Amanda (2003) entails more than just incorporating young youths' concerns into current policy paradigms. Another way for youths to have an influence on the political and development process is via active engagement in governance at all levels, including local government.

Meanwhile, the basic learning process for political maturity must begin at the grassroots. Youths will be able to empathize with the people, understand their concerns, and dominate the terrain via grass-roots politics. Finally, because of their fragility, the young have a higher burden of promoting peace, security, stability, and national unity. They may create bridges of understanding across ethnic groupings, political affiliations, and religious divides via political education and public awareness campaigns, advocacy, and active participation in the election process. As a result, the purpose of this research is to investigate the role of youths in national development.

1.3 Objectives of the study

The study's overall purpose is to investigate the role of youths in National Development in Nigeria.

The study, on the other hand, was focused on achieving these precise goals:

1. Examine the contributions of youths to national development.
2. Investigate the challenges of youths to national development.
3. Examine the strategies for effective mobilization and integration of youths for national development.

1.4 Research questions

The following research questions were posed in accordance with the study's objectives:

1. What are the contributions of youths to national development?
2. What are the challenges of youths to national development?
3. What are the strategies for effective mobilization and integration of youths for national development?

1.5 Statement of the hypotheses

A hypothesis refers to an experimental statement, tentative in nature, showing the relationship between two or more variables. It is open to test and can be accepted or rejected depending on whether it agrees or disagrees with the statistical test.

The study will test the validity of the following null hypothesis:

H01: The youths do not significantly contribute to national development.

H02: There are no challenges of youths to national development.

H03: There are no effective strategies for mobilization and integration of youths for national development.

1.6 Significance of the study

The significance of this study on the role of youths in national development will be viewed from both theoretical and practical perspective. Theoretically, role theory states that role specification and performance of youths can be seen to be crucial in the national development. Meanwhile, these entire roles cannot be effectively filled simultaneously by one person in a social action process but can be filled collectively. Therefore, this study will help the youth to come to the understanding of their responsibilities in taking part in nation building activities.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory states that ultimate desire of all human beings is to be self-actualized. In Maslow’s theory, there is hierarchy of needs to be satisfied in order to achieve fulfillment of self and it includes; physiological needs, safety need, belongingness, self- esteem and self-actualization. Each hierarchy of need must be satisfied before the satisfaction of the next level of needs. This theory shows that youth must be motivated by making sure that these basic needs are sufficient to free them to participate fully in national development projects. The findings of this study will help the government and stake holders to fully motivate them for effective nation building activities.

From the practical point, the significance of this study would be a veritable tool or instrument to the students, lecturers and researchers who are carrying out research on the role of youths in national development, as well as non-governmental agencies who have interest in youth development or empowerment matters in the study area. Therefore, the findings of this research study, would assist the government in the assessment of the role and performance of youth in national development as well as identify the problems that the youths are facing in the course of carrying out these national development projects and proffer lasting or far reaching solutions where necessary.

The findings of this research study would also benefit the youth organizations by bringing to their awareness the significant role they play in the development of any country. This research work would help them to assess their current status and make adjustments where the need arise. Additionally, the findings of this research work, would add to the existing works/literature in the area of youth participation in national development, which by extension constitute a reference material for students, lecturers, researchers and any other person(s) that would be interested in knowing more about youths and their participation in national development in Nigeria. The findings would as well place non-governmental agencies who have the interest of youths at heart on a sound footing to ascertain the best way of reaching and attending to the youths, in order to achieve their stated goals and objectives.

1.7 Justification of the study

The significant role the youths play in the development of any country cannot be over-emphasized. This issue has continued to be a major concern to the government and others stake holder who are enable to contribute to the development of the youth in nation building.  Successive Nigerian governments have initiated programmes and projects aimed at the youth which ranges from National Youth Service Corps, in-social education programme for physical and metal development of out school programme aimed at shaping the character and behavior of the youth, as well as promoting competitive spirit  and national unity and integration include formation of clubs, encouragement of sporting  activities, instilling organization such as boys scout, girls guide, and man O’war and  include facilitation of the emergency and development of voluntary self-help association which contribute to community development, skills and vocational training programme, competitive activities and cultural festivals. 

1.8 Scope of the study

This study focuses on examining the contributions of youths to national development. This study will also investigate the challenges of youths to national development. Furthermore, this study will look into the strategies that will enable for effective mobilization and integration of youths for national development. This study will be delimited to youths in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

1.9 Definition of terms

Youth: Youth is the time of life when one is young, and often means the time between childhood and adulthood.

Role: A role is a set of connected behaviors, rights, obligations, beliefs, and norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation.

Development: Development is a process that creates growth, progress, positive change or the addition of physical, economic, environmental, social and demographic components

National Development: National development is the ability of a county or countries to improve the social welfare of the people

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