ANALYSIS OF THE PREVALENCE OF YOUTH RESTIVENESS IN NIGERIA
Nazifi Nafi u Lawal and Usman, A. Yusuf
Volume 13 Issue 1
Abstract
The study critically examines the prevalence and determinants of youth restiveness in Nigeria through a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed. Anchored in relative deprivation, conflict and social disorganisation theories, the study addresses two principal research questions: the extent to which youth restiveness manifests across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, and the underlying structural, political and socio-economic drivers of this phenomenon. Employing rigorous database searches, supplemented by snowball sampling, the review synthesises empirical evidence on diverse expressions of youth unrest from banditry and insurgency in the North to urban cultism in the South-West and resource-centred militancy in the Niger Delta. The findings reveal that historical legacies of uneven development, systemic corruption, political exclusion and widespread unemployment interact to generate region-specific forms of restiveness. Theoretically, the paper demonstrates how perceived disparities between expectations and capabilities, institutional failures and community breakdown coalesce to precipitate youth agitation. It concludes that Nigerian youth restiveness is an entrenched, multifaceted phenomenon requiring context-sensitive, integrated interventions. On the premise of its findings, the study proffered recommendations including targeted economic empowerment, political inclusion mechanisms, equitable resource-sharing reforms and community-centred security strategies. Keywords: Youth Restiveness; Relative Deprivation; Conflict; Regional Variation.
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