THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND RAPE IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The association between unemployment and rape in Nigeria was investigated in this study. Three research questions were created to do this. In this study, the survey design was used, as well as simple random sample procedures. The population consists of a small group of individuals from the capital city of Uyo. The researcher readily chose 267 inhabitants for the sample size, while 260 were returned and validated. Data was collected using a questionnaire that was self-created and validated. The standard deviation was used to assess the questionnaires that had been collected and validated. According to the findings, growing unemployment in Nigeria has a number of consequences, including an increase in violent crime, a drop in GDP, a rise in poverty, and a high mortality rate.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Every society on the planet faces its own set of issues and challenges. Nigeria is no different. As a developing country, it faces its own set of social, political, economic, and cultural issues, all of which have had a significant impact on the population’s well-being. Youth unemployment and a rising tide of crime are two such issues plaguing the country, both of which have major ramifications for the country’s development.

Nigeria’s youth population is estimated to be around 46.4 million, with the majority of those between 15 to 39 years old (National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Abuja, 2017). Given the expanding youth population, the government should provide jobs and other incentives to the horde of unemployed graduates and teenagers. Unfortunately, unemployment in Nigeria, particularly among the youth, has been on the rise.

Despite the abundance of human and natural resources in the country, Nigeria’s unemployment rate has continued to rise. In Nigeria, chronic youth unemployment is evident. Thousands of graduates are created each year, but the majority of them are unemployed. Nigerian streets are clogged with hawkers who would otherwise have found gainful employment in some business (Okafor, 2011). The enormous number of unemployed youngsters has the potential to undermine democratic practice by posing a severe danger to the political class if they are used for clandestine and criminal activities (Okafor, 2011).

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (2009), between 2000 and 2011, Nigeria’s national unemployment rate was 31.1 percent, with 31.1 percent of the population unemployed. The rise in crime in Nigeria in recent years is concerning and alarming. This may be seen in daily news reports of robbery, theft, burglary, auto theft, rape, kidnapping, internet scams, and other social media crimes. In the past, South Western Nigeria was known for its serene and tranquil environment, as well as adequate protection of lives and property, but in recent years, the wave of insecurity has taken on a new dimension. The Aramoko-Erio-Efon, Akure-Ikere, and Ado-Ijan roads, for example, have become dangerous for tourists because many have been kidnapped or robbed along these routes. In Ondo State, a professor from a private university was kidnapped and eventually found dead (Oladele, Akeke Oladunjoye 2011).

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Many factors have been ascribed to Nigeria’s high youth unemployment rate, including increasing rural unban migration, rapid population increase, inadequate school curricula, corruption, the fall of the manufacturing sector, policymakers’ and youths’ perceptions of employment, and weak governance (Adebayo, 2013; Ekeji, 2019). Scholars agree that unemployment is linked to criminal activity such as rape. According to Ehrlich, as stated by Jelilov and Ndanitsa (2015), joblessness is linked to crime since real work reduces the likelihood of unlawful work. According to Fadaei-Tehrani and Green in Jelilov & Ndanitsa (2015), a drop in unemployment leads to a decrease in crime, and vice versa. Socioeconomic disparity and a lack of prospects for social growth and employment have been observed by UN-Habitat.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major goal of this research is to look into the link between unemployment and rape in Nigeria. The following are some of the study’s specific goals:

Examine the ramifications of Nigeria’s rising unemployment rate.

Examine the elements that contribute to Nigeria’s high unemployment rate.

Examine the link between rape and unemployment in Nigeria.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In this project, the following research issues will be addressed.

What are the ramifications of Nigeria’s rising jobless rate?

What are the variables that contribute to Nigeria’s high unemployment rate?

Is there a link between rape and unemployment in Nigeria?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

In this study, the validity of the following hypotheses will be tested:

Ho1: In Nigeria, there is no link between unemployment and rape.

In Nigeria, there is a link between unemployment and rape, according to Ha1.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of this study cannot be overstated, as it reveals the link between unemployment and rape in Nigeria, as well as the consequences of Nigeria’s rising unemployment rate, the factors that contribute to the country’s high unemployment rate, and the link between unemployment and rape in Nigeria. As a result, the findings will surely alert federal, state, and local governments to the importance of ensuring adequate establishment of avenues to reduce unemployment rates. And the ramifications that will very certainly follow if it is not addressed.

As a result, one of the most important outcomes of this research is that it will push the government to develop policies that would successfully stop the alarming growth in the rate.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The focus of this research will be on the link between unemployment and rape in Nigeria. This research will look into the ramifications of Nigeria’s rising unemployment rate, the variables that contribute to the country’s high unemployment rate, and the link between unemployment and rape in Nigeria.

Residents of Uyo City, Akwa Ibom State, will be enlisted as survey participants in this study.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The researcher faced some challenges in conducting this study, including time limits, money constraints, language barriers, and the attitudes of the respondents.

In addition, there was the aspect of researcher prejudice. The researcher had some biases, which may have shown up in the manner the data was gathered, the kind of people questioned or sampled, and how the data was evaluated afterward. It’s impossible to overestimate the impact of all of this on the findings and conclusions.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The way two or more people or objects are connected, or the state of being connected, is referred to as a relationship.

Unemployment: This is a term that refers to those who are employable and actively looking for work but can’t find one.

Rape is defined as unlawful sexual activity, most commonly involving sexual intercourse, carried out against the victim’s will by force or threat of force, or with a person who is unable to give legal consent due to minor status, mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception.