ENTREPRENEURSHIP: AN OPTION FOR THE MITIGATION OF SOCIAL UPHEAVALS AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTHS
Michael Effiom& Anietie Efi
Department of Business Management
University of Uyo, P.M.B. 1017 Uyo, Akwa Ibom State
Email: mikefiom.power@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
It was in congruence with the present situation in Nigeria as characterized by fear, threats to individuals’ lives of Nigerians and their property amidst hunger and unemployment that interest was developed to x-ray the possible strategic option of achieving national peace and normalcy. However, the topic coinage was an attempt to clinically assess the root causes of social unrest and other vices and the possible strategies of ameliorating them. Since this research was library based, it was gathered that the present security situation in Nigeria is championed by young citizens who are frustrated and lack confidence in the government that has practically marginalized most youths because of ethnicity and regional sentiments, precipitating from government weak decisions in terms of policies implementation and lack of transparency. The strain theory violence gave detail explanation of why the youth react the way they do, and it was further corroborated by the frustration theory as postulated by Atkinson and Atkinson (1975). Meanwhile, it was discovered that unemployment and weak educational system have made most youth lack confidence in themselves because of the automatic poverty effect this has plagued on them among other sufferings. Social infrastructures available were discovered to be not enough to encourage massive involvement in entrepreneurship. Similarly, government patronage of foreign manufactured products was also realized as a very demotivating factor. It was therefore recommended that clear communication channels should be established so that the youth can relate freely with their political leaders at all levels of government. Finally, it was also recommended that entrepreneurship support infrastructure be made sufficient in the country as this would also checkmate the rural-urban migration of persons.
Keywords: Restiveness, infrastructure, unemployment and entrepreneurship
