Youth Empowerment and Crime Reduction: A Descriptive Study of Youth Empowerment Programs in Ekiti State, Nigeria

<i>Nigeria's escalating crime rate threatens the country's future. The study specifically examined the level of youth participation in empowerment initiatives and the perceived effectiveness of these programs in reducing crime in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was utilized for this research. Data were gathered from 400 validated responses out of 417 distributed questionnaires. A three-stage sampling technique was employed to select Ado, Ikere, and Oye local governments, each representing one of the three senatorial districts in Ekiti State. Data were analyzed through Crammers’ V, Pearson Chi-square, and Linear Regression at a 5% significance level. 74.25% of respondents believed that youth involvement in empowerment programs was high. 71.5% of the respondents opined that grandaunts should be provided with micro-credits, to make the program more effective. The study revealed a relationship between participating in empowerment programs and crime reduction. Secondly, a relationship exists between youths’ financial status and crime reduction. The study confirmed the adequacy of empowerment centers as a crucial factor in reducing crime. Finally, the study demonstrated that youth empowerment significantly promotes entrepreneurship, reducing youth involvement in crime. The study concludes that empowerment promotes entrepreneurship and reduces crime in Ekiti State. A more comprehensive approach targeting youth involvement in empowerment programs, supported by increased funding, is recommended to enhance the effectiveness of these programs and reduce crime rates further.</i>

尼日利亚不断升级的犯罪率正威胁着该国的未来。本研究聚焦尼日利亚埃基蒂州（Ekiti State），考察了青年参与赋能举措（empowerment initiatives）的程度，以及此类项目在降低犯罪方面的感知有效性。本研究采用描述性调查设计方案，共发放问卷417份，回收有效问卷400份。研究通过三阶段抽样法，选取埃基蒂州下辖的阿多（Ado）、伊克雷（Ikere）和奥耶（Oye）地方政府（local governments）辖区，三者分别对应该州的三个参议员选区。数据分析采用克莱姆V统计量（Crammer’s V）、皮尔逊卡方检验（Pearson Chi-square）以及线性回归（Linear Regression），显著性水平设定为5%。74.25%的受访者认为青年参与赋能项目（empowerment programs）的程度较高。71.5%的受访者认为应为赋能项目参与者提供小额信贷，以提升项目实施效果。本研究发现，参与赋能项目与犯罪率降低之间存在显著关联；其次，青年的经济状况与犯罪率降低之间同样存在关联。本研究证实，赋能中心的配置充足性是降低犯罪的关键影响因素。最后，本研究表明，青年赋能可显著促进创业活动，从而降低青年参与犯罪的概率。本研究得出结论：在埃基蒂州，赋能举措可促进创业并降低犯罪率。建议采用更全面的实施路径，以推动青年参与赋能项目为核心目标，并加大资金支持力度，从而进一步提升此类项目的实施效果，降低犯罪率。