The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that 54 per cent of Nigerian youths were unemployed in 2012. This revelation was made on Tuesday as was contained in the“2012 National Baseline Youth Survey Report’’ issued in Abuja by the NBS in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youths Development.
Of the unemployed youths, females stood at 51.9 per cent as against 48.1% unemplyed men
The unemployment rate also led to an alarming increase in crime rate. Smoking of Marijuana, theft and murder were just some of the thirty-two crimes highlighted. Marijuana-smoking led the pack with 15.7% while theft and murder had 8.1% and 7.4% respectively
The least committed crime was Immigration/Emigration at 0.04 per cent.
Out of 46,836 youths recorded against different types of crimes, 42,071, representing 75.5 per cent were males, while the remaining 24.5 per cent were females.
The report went further to reveal than that more than five million youths indicated they were involved in conflict resolution at one level of governance or the other. Those involved in conflict resolution were majorly at the community level and represented 64.9 per cent, while 30.9 per cent were involved at the ward level.
At the state level only 1.6 per cent were involved.
For football, 83.9 per cent males were involved as against 16.1 per cent females. This was commonplace in other sports too aside volleyball where females represented 81.1 per cent as against 18.9 per cent for the male gender
For Hockey, 59.3 per cent females were involved as against 40.7 per cent of males. The ladies also dominated the track and field events with 74% compared to the 26% for men
The population of youths aged between 15 and 35 years in Nigeria is estimated to be 64 million, while females are more than males in all age groups, the survey explained
According to the survey, Lagos State had the highest percentage of youths in Nigeria with 6.1 per cent, followed by Kano state representing 5.7 per cent, while Bayelsa State had the lowest with 1.3 per cent.
Statistics for married youths revealed that 68 per cent were females, while 32 per cent were males. Divorce and widowhood rates were high among the female youths with 70.9 and 71.8 per cent, respectively while 38.5 per cent females were never married.
The report said the objective of the study was to provide useful data for the design and development of youth-focused programmes by the Federal Ministry of Youths Development and other partners in the country.
The study was aimed at generating empirical data to inform policy decisions and guide their implementation.
It was also aimed at providing government and other stakeholders with useful data that would assist in the development of young people’s employability to ensure their successful transition to the labour market.
