Educational Backgrounds and Youth Criminality in Nigeria

Abstract

Mismanagement and recurring strikes in the Nigerian educational sector have institutionalized a legacy of intellectual poverty and criminality among youth. Unchecked persistent strikes have led to progressive deterioration in infrastructure and academic quality, leading to criminal activities among the youth. This study utilizes the concept of alternative educational backgrounds to interpret the density of crimes among youth in Nigeria. The research draws empirical evidence from Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and supports it with a field survey. The collated data were subjected to both descriptive and regression analyses. The statistical results show that neglect of education is significantly correlated with criminal and mendicant (area-boyism) behavior among youth. This paper recommends that for the nation’s education to have an impact in reducing crime there is a need to inject vibrancy into the educational system in order to encourage and enhance educational quality/quantity.