Youth Restiveness and Sustainable Rural Development in Ukanafun L.G.A-Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, 2015 – 2020.

Abstract

The youths in every community are strong force to reckon with towards achieving meaningful rural development, if only when their strengths are been controlled, harnessed and properly utilized. Therefore, this paper assesses the effects of Youth Restiveness on Sustainable Rural Development in Akwa Ibom State, with a focus on Ukanafun L.G.A. Social Strain and Frustration theory was adopted as the theoretical framework of analysis. This paper adopted descriptive survey research design. Primary and secondary sources of data collection were employed. This paper targeted the entire population of Ukanafun L.G.A. thus; purposive random sampling technique was applied while, 300 respondents were targeted as the sample size while 260 returned questionnaires were used for the data analysis. The data collected were presented on Logical Data Framework (LDF) and analyzed using quantitative method of statistical analysis of frequency table, mean and chi-square parametric test. The paper finds out that; bad governance/leadership, unemployment, poverty/hunger, peer group pressure/influence, marginalization etc. are the major causes of youth restiveness thus, leading to the serious escalation of various social vices such as kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, killing/assassination, dehumanization, issuing of life threatening letters; sexual harassment/rape; destruction/burning of private/public properties etc. in Ukanafun L.G.A., Akwa Ibom state. The paper recommended that; there is need for job creation, skill acquisition centers and youth empowerment programme; inclusion of positive peace education and building in education curriculum, making policy for youth enlightenment, counseling; granting of amnesty etc.