ACCESS TO YOUTH EMPOWERMENT INITIATIVES AND THEIR AWARENESS AMONG YOUTHS IN OGBIA LGA OF BAYELSA STATE

The study investigated the level of awareness and access to youth empowerment programmes among youths in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Guided by a descriptive survey research design, the study sought to determine the extent of youths’ awareness of available empowerment programmes and to examine the degree of their access to such opportunities. The population comprised all youths in Ogbia Local Government Area, from which a sample of 400 respondents was drawn using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured instrument titled "Youth Empowerment Awareness and Access Questionnaire (YEA-AQ)," validated by experts and found to have a Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.87. The quantitative data collected through the questionnaires were coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, and charts were used to summarize socio-demographic variables and responses. Qualitative data from IDIs and FGDs were transcribed and thematically analyzed, with emergent themes triangulated against the quantitative findings to provide a holistic understanding of awareness and access to YEPs among youths in Ogbia LGA. The findings revealed that while awareness of youth empowerment programmes was relatively high among youths, actual access to these programmes remained limited due to barriers such as inadequate information dissemination, bureaucratic processes, and limited programme coverage. These findings highlight the need for improved sensitization strategies, decentralization of programme access points, and the strengthening of policy frameworks to ensure equitable participation of youths in empowerment initiatives. The study recommends that Government and programme providers should collaborate with media, social workers, and community leaders to conduct door-to-door sensitization and radio jingles in local languages