Perceived Influence of Unemployment and Depression Among Youth in Lagos State
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives Of Study
The general objective of the study is to examine the influence of unemployment and depression among the youth in the Lagos state. Specifically, the study seeks to:
- Identify the causes of unemployment among the youth in the Lagos state
- Examine the psychological of unemployment among the youth in Lagos state
- Assess the perception of the effects of youth unemployment on community development
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter consists of a review of chosen theoretical framework, concepts of unemployment, empirical literature and other related studies on youth unemployment identified with the study. The review of the subject matter provides a foundation for subsequent discussions during data analysis.
Theoretical Framework
This section focuses on two main theories of unemployment, Keynesian and Marxist theories of unemployment to explain the unemployment situation in Nigeria.
The Keynesian unemployment theory
Keynesian hypothesis of joblessness is additionally alluded to as the repetitive or insufficient request joblessness. This hypothesis suggested that joblessness emerges when there is declining total request in the economy to give employment to each capable, qualified and willing person who need to work. In perspective of this financial hypothesis, when there is decline in aggregate demand, there is associated weakening in manufacturing, which require the need to diminish the quantity of staff.
This study therefore presumes that the Nigerian economy has not been growing fast enough to absorb the teeming unemployed youth because the manufacturing sector is weak. The weakness of the manufacturing sector is as a result of weak macroeconomic fundamentals including low aggregate demand. The theory is therefore appropriate for the study because it is able to explain the fundamental reasons for general unemployment.
Marxist theory of unemployment
Marxist hypothesis of joblessness was propounded by a well-known researcher, Karl Marx in 1863. He explained in the theory how industrialist method of job creation includes few labourers while keeping the rest as an armed force of jobless homeless people (Marx, 1863). He considered that joblessness is essential inside the unequal industrialist framework and irregular disasters of mass joblessness are to be expected. Free enterprise, as indicated by Marx, unduly and falsely promotes joblessness. Section of industrial workers get scarred when remuneration had to be increased which could eventually lead to job cuts in the free market system. In the view of Marx, the main way to create jobs is to prevent the free market system from working to promote wage agitations.
This study position, considers wage agitations in the free market economy such as the Nigerian economy to be the main reason why some enterprises do not employ so many people.
Concept of unemployment
Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing the African continent (Frimpong, 2012) and Nigeria is no exception. Accordingly, the unemployment rate in Nigeria has remained generally low over the years ranging from 2.8 per cent in 1984 to 10.4 per cent in 2010 based on population and housing census data and within range of 2.3 per cent in 1991/92 and 3.1 per cent in 2005/06 based on Nigeria Living Standards Survey (GLSS) dataset (Baah- Boateng, 2013).
The issue of unemployment among the youth is therefore presumed to be grounded in its uncontrollable causes that may be blamed on the conditional demands of the international community, the educational system, training facilities, geographical locations and availability of resources among others.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter outlines the methodology used in the research. It focuses on the various processes and procedures used in conducting the research. The chapter also discusses the various sources of the data for the study, the technique for sampling and the approaches for data analysis.
Research Design
The study used mixed methods in the design. This method is a research approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methods. It is premised on an assumption that combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches provides better understanding of research problems than using just only one of the two. The study adopted this approach for a reason that the demerits of quantitative and qualitative methods will be dealt with in order to produce a robust results (Creswell, 2003).
Sullivan (2001) explained that qualitative data is data collected in the form of words, pictures, descriptions or narratives. On the other hand, quantitative approach involves quantifying data or assigning measures in order to statistically test their relationship. Gay, Mills and Airasian (2011) confirmed that the study based on qualitative data is unstructured, primarily exploratory, and focuses at breaking fresh grounds and giving insights. Quantitative-data research employ techniques that quantify data and typically subject them to statistical analysis. Therefore, combination of the two approaches would appear to yield better outcome.
In the considerations of the choice of both the qualitative and quantitative methodology, primarily, the quantitative research placed me in the position to focus on my main concerns as the researcher, whereas qualitative research positioned me to focus on my subject’s perspective. I was able to capture views of at least subtleties that would often be missed. Equally it helped me to examine forms of knowledge from the respondents by gaining new insights. Finally this choice made the analysis more challenging and interesting.
Population of the study
The target population for the study was the youth of Ikeja. The study adopts definition of the unemployed youth age (15+) as stated in the conceptual framework. However, the Nigeria Statistical Service pegs the highest youth age at 35 years. Therefore, all people within the age bracket from 15+ up to 35yeras were potential respondents for the quantitative interviews.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
Causes of youth unemployment in the Lagos state (Objective One)
The study adopts ILO‟s (2000) definition of unemployment to classify a youth as unemployed. Thus, a youth is unemployed if at the time of the interview, he/she was without work and was ready and available to work if granted the opportunity. Based on this definition, Figure 4.5 indicates that 39 per cent of the respondents are unemployed. It therefore suggests that the youth is confronted with the issues of voluntary unemployment, involuntary unemployment and structural unemployment. Youth unemployment is very high in the Municipality. 25 percent are self-employed whereas 21 percent are either students or learning a job. 12 percent are working employees and 3 percent are either sick or incapacitated.
Objective One of the study seeks to find out the main reasons behind youth unemployment in the Municipality and therefore asked the respondents to share their views on the causes of the problem. The jobs that the youth aspires for within the different sectors of the economy are not vacant or that, the needed capital to start one is not available. The job aspirations of the youth in the various economic sectors include, legislators and managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers and as well, skilled agriculture and fishery workers. Others include service and sales workers, craft and related trades workers, plant machine operators and assemblers and other elementary occupations (Nigeria Statistical Service, 2015)
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter focuses on the summary of the key findings of the study, the conclusions drawn from the findings and policy recommendations based on the conclusion. The chapter begins with discussions on the summary of the findings. This is followed by sections on the conclusion and the policy recommendation.
Summary of Findings
The study started by estimating the incidence of youth unemployment and like many other communities in Nigeria, the incidence of youth unemployment was found out to be very high in the Lagos state. The first task was to identify the causes of youth unemployment in the Municipality and low level of education among the youth appears as the most dominant causes of youth unemployment. Among other things, lack of relevant vocational skills and rural-urban migration also came out as other determinants of youth employment in Lagos state.
Apart from identifying the causes of youth unemployment, the study also sought to examine the socio-economic consequences of unemployment on the youth in the Municipality. In respect to this, the study found out that unemployment could lead the youth to engage themselves in violence related activities, which may destroy their future prospects. Relating to this is a finding that unemployment also cause the youth to engage in social vices such as robbery to make a living.
Finally, the study assessed the perception of the effects of youth unemployment on community development and found out that the unemployed youth are usually used by some people to perpetrate mayhem in the communities. Again, the unemployed youth are mostly behind the political party agitations in the communities. Also, because these people do not work, they do not pay funeral and other community levies.
Conclusions
The low level of education that was found to be the reason of youth unemployment is in line with the literature. This is because certificate first has become a major yardstick for employment in the Nigerian labour market. Therefore, the study concludes that low level of education is a potential reason for youth unemployment. Relating to this is the finding that lack of vocational skills could also be a reason for youth unemployment. This is probably because the youth who have vocational skills could establish their own enterprise. Therefore, the study concludes that acquisition of vocational skills could reduce youth unemployment.
Again, rural-urban drift in Nigeria usually involve the youth who have run away to the urban areas in search of non-existing jobs. As this continuous, the number of youth unemployed will be escalating. The study concludes that rural-urban migration is a potential reason for the increases in the incidence of youth unemployment in the Lagos state.
That unemployment render the youth time and space to engage themselves in violence related activities sounds logical. This is because as the youth idle around they tend to be lured into violent and crime related activities. The reason could simply be that such engagement would could be monetary rewarding. Therefore, the study concludes that youth unemployment is a potential cause of crime related violence in the Lagos state. Relating to the above is the finding by that study that the unemployed youth are mostly behind the political party agitations in the communities. Most of this youth do not have relatives around who could who give them food. Therefore, any job that comes their way which could give them money is acceptable. However, as they tend to engage themselves in such activities, they put everybody in the community at risk. The study therefore concludes that anti-social activities of the unemployed youth is a serious security concern.
Recommendations
Based on the conclusions made on the findings of the study, the following policy recommendations are suggested:
Government of Nigeria, the development partners as well as all stakeholders of education should endeavour to extend education to all Nigerians. The existing policies such as free compulsory universal basic education (FCUBE) should be strengthened to effectively achieve its objectives. Parents who refuse to send their children to school should be sanctioned to serve as deterrent to others.
There must be proper funding of tertiary institutions. In this regard, every government must equip the institutions of learning located in every part of the country whether technical or vocational, with the necessary equipment that will make the youths to acquire the knowledge that they need which will keep them employed even when any company does not employ them.
Information marketing is an important skill that can transport the Nigerian unemployed youth from rag to riches. The most important thing about information marketing is that it does not just secure employment for the youths but as well develop people who are into it on various areas. Most of the youths who are into information marketing today did not pay anybody to acquire the skill but learnt it through research work on the internet. This has been lasting solution to youth unemployment in neighbouring states.
Skill acquisition is important, helpful, lucrative, and promoting. Skill is an important way of investing in the youths. The skill youths acquire will help them to be publicly employed and also self-employment. Both government and non-governmental organizations are expected to
contribute their quota in helping the youths to acquire skills. They can offer that in the form of scholarships to the youths. Practicing this will help the youths to earn money for their living and train others. Following this trend will help in the reduction of the percentage of the world unemployed youths.
A lasting solution to youth unemployment is devising means to stop corruption which in turn will prevent the governing body from money laundering. Strong anti-corruption bodies should be established and they are to be independent of government. Punishing any government official caught in corrupt practice is an important tool to be used to create employment for the Nigerian youths. Irrespective of the class of offence the official committed and that is stamped corruption, adequate punishment is to be exercised on the offender. The fight on corruption will keep more funds in any country and the fund used to generate employment for the youths.
Rural-urban migration in Nigeria has been discussed for many years in the Nigerian media. In the 1970s, a policy was put together to ensure rural development and transformation. That the youth are still migrating to the urban centres means all is still not well with our rural areas. This study suggests that Government should revisit this policy to put in place proper mechanisms to develop the rural communities in Nigeria. One thing that is lacking in the rural communities for which reason the youth move to the urban areas is unemployment. The study therefore suggests that one district one factory policy could be used to initiate jobs in the rural communities in order to prevent the youth from moving to the urban areas.
Again, the police should be equipped to prevent all youth related crimes and violence. Community police could be relied on to check the excesses of the youth. Again, the rich, chiefs and politicians who use the youth to perpetrate violence should be sanctioned severely to deter others.
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