IMPACTS OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN ABAK LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

The Nigerian government through its various agencies, nongovernmental organizations, andeven private philanthropists, have resorted to committing a lot of resources to training andempowering the youths in various entrepreneurships. This is done with the aim of enhancingcreation of jobs, reduction of poverty, and generation of income both to individuals andgovernment thereby bringing about economic diversification which will help reduceoverdependence on government and oil revenue, hence leading to national development. Thisstudy therefore empirically examined whether empowering the youths has significantlycontributed to the growth and development of the country. The objectives of the study were toascertain the relationship between youth empowerment and employment, poverty reduction,security and employment. Survey research design was employed to accomplish the purposeof the study. Adolescent empowerment cycle theory was adopted as the theoreticalframework. The target population comprised the beneficiaries of youth empowermentschemes in the study area. Both primary and secondary data sources were utilized. The datafor the study were generated through structured questionnaire items. The population of thestudy was 139,090 while 400 sampled respondents were purposively selected from the studyarea. Data collected were analyzed using percentages and independent T-test using theStatistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. It was found among others that almost allthe variables used to capture national development in Akwa Ibom state, were statisticallysignificant except for poverty reduction and that the government has not made serious effortsto address the unemployment rate and acquisition of skills, especially for the youths. It wasrecommended among others that Poverty alleviation programmes should be given adequatefunding and sustained by government, in order to meet the objectives for which it wasestablished, more industries, factories and firms should be created to employ the youths andGovernments at all levels must be focused on those macro and micro economic policies andprogrammes such as diversification and industrialization, that will ensure rapid growth anddevelopment of the economy and country at large.