| In 2008 alone, the country lost $20.7 billion in oil | | | | strategic location, the country has also emerged as a |
| profits due to militant violence in the oil-rich but | | | | centre of massive economic corruption and criminal |
| volatile Niger Delta region1. A Presidential Technical | | | | activity. Since 1999 however, a climate of renewed |
| Committee report to the Nigerian government | | | | collaboration with international law-enforcement |
| attributed the fiscal loss to armed militant activity on | | | | agencies has resulted in substantial crackdowns on |
| oil installations that resulted in shutdowns and spillages. | | | | syndicated criminal activities across the country. A |
| The conflict has significantly hamstrung oil exports - | | | | notable achievement in this regard has been a |
| the country's prime revenue earner - from 2.6 million | | | | national initiative against drug money laundering, which |
| barrels in 2006 to a current figure of just 1.78 million | | | | resulted in Nigeria's removal from the Financial Action |
| barrels. The human component of this economic | | | | Task Force's list of non-cooperative countries in 2006. |
| tragedy is even more appalling: at least 1,000 lives | | | | However, the country's commitment to fighting |
| lost and an additional 300, including 44 foreign oil | | | | economic crimes continues to be monitored. |
| workers and businessmen, taken hostage. | | | | The mix of poverty, inflation and unemployment in |
| The Nigerian government considers four of the nine | | | | Nigeria has created a situation where opportunities |
| states in the delta region as conflict zones, and | | | | for gainful employment are scarce, and criminality is |
| foreigner travel to these locations is strictly restricted. | | | | often a means for survival. The same holds true for |
| The 70,000 square km area, a mainstay of the | | | | large parts of sub-Saharan Africa where legitimate |
| country's economy, accounts for 85% of state | | | | opportunities are shrinking. Across Nigeria, the highest |
| revenue2. Armed insurgency in the region traces its | | | | incidence is of property crimes, relating to survival - |
| roots to a perceived sense of neglect by both oil | | | | burglary, armed robbery, cheating etc. Inherent flaws |
| companies and the national government, a sentiment | | | | in the criminal justice system only add to the problem. |
| that is corroborated by empirical evidence. Despite its | | | | Tackling law and order is especially difficult due to the |
| strategic and economic significance, human | | | | existence of a triple criminal justice system, which |
| development indices for the Niger Delta region are | | | | includes a Criminal Code, a Penal Code (based on |
| starkly behind national averages. Further, the pollution | | | | Islamic edicts) and Customary Law, some of which |
| resulting from oil and gas prospecting have decimated | | | | are informal and unwritten. |
| indigenous sources of livelihood like fishing, and | | | | Youth crime is currently one of the biggest hurdles |
| brought home disease, malnutrition and high fatality | | | | on Nigeria's road to accelerated economic |
| rates, besides serious environmental repercussions. | | | | development. One of the government's core |
| The localize symptoms in Niger Delta are however | | | | priorities, in the context of long-term developmental |
| only part of the problem. Poverty remains endemic | | | | goals, remains the mobilization of its substantial youth |
| despite the billions flowing into the national coffers. | | | | population to lead an enterprise revolution. Nigeria's |
| Successive government policies in the last century | | | | emerging leadership has in principle at least awakened |
| failed to include the wide majority of Nigerians; 76 | | | | to the urgency of implementing fundamental |
| million of whom are officially classified below the | | | | initiatives concerning the creation of new jobs for |
| poverty line, while an astounding 35% of the | | | | sustainable and inclusive growth. For Nigeria, |
| population continues to live in abject poverty. | | | | entrepreneurship development is a social as well as an |
| Poverty however exacts an inevitable social toll, and | | | | economic imperative. The following aspects require |
| for an impoverished people, crime is often an easy | | | | critical consideration as part of any concerted |
| step from deprivation. Although reliable independent | | | | government effort in this regard: |
| data is hard to come by, Nigeria has a massive | | | | * In the contest of Nigeria's troubled past, maintaining |
| unemployment rate that adds thousands of new | | | | political stability and authority of democratic |
| graduates to its list of jobless each year. The | | | | institutions are critical to the success of any |
| country's prominent 'This Day' newspaper reports in a | | | | worthwhile youth revival initiative. |
| September 2007 story that Nigerian youths | | | | * Improvement in per capita income, standard of |
| constitute half the population, 95% of which is | | | | living and related human development indices through |
| unemployed4. By the government's own admission, | | | | implementation of informed social and economic policy |
| over 70% of the population was unemployed that | | | | changes. |
| year. The figure has since been slashed to just below | | | | * Effective poverty alleviation programs that focus |
| 29% to coincide with recent independent World Bank | | | | on enterprise development as a viable means to |
| findings. Even at this rate however, over 40 million | | | | legitimate prosperity. Mobilization of the youth |
| Nigerians are currently jobless. Significantly, policy | | | | workforce to promote rapid entrepreneurial |
| changes effected after 1999 have done little to | | | | development in rural and urban areas alike. |
| assuage the situation, largely because of a misplaced | | | | * Massive overhaul of the education system to |
| focus on capital-intensive ventures that generated | | | | correctly address local realities. Focus on vocational |
| few employment opportunities. The situation was | | | | and skill development programs that translate to |
| made worse by acute infrastructural shortages, | | | | practical job opportunities. |
| forcing hundreds of factories and informal sector | | | | * Rehabilitation programs for Niger Delta militants and |
| industries to lay-off workers. | | | | other criminal elements that focus on equipping them |
| Consequently, youth crime has steadily been on the | | | | with practical skills and leveraging their economic |
| rise, fed by decades of under-investment in the social | | | | potential. |
| sector, together with deficient poverty-alleviation and | | | | For a country beset by a bewildering array of |
| ineffective unemployment-reduction initiatives. Over | | | | problems, piece-meal measures can hardly be |
| the years, billions in annual oil revenue pouring in to | | | | effective in the long run. Hopefully, Nigeria has at |
| the country hiked the bar of its economic and social | | | | least started taking positive steps. |
| aspirations, resulting in a climate of criminal proclivity. | | | | In June this year, the government of President UM |
| For a nation with millions of jobless youths, the gross | | | | Yar'Adua announced a declaration of amnesty for |
| outcome has been a surge in violent crime by | | | | militants in the Niger Delta region. The proclamation |
| individuals and gangs, including frequent muggings, | | | | acknowledges that militancy arose out of the state's |
| assault, burglary, carjacking, extortion and kidnapping. | | | | inability to meet the aspirations of the local |
| Fraud is an especially huge criminal sub-sector here. In | | | | population, and the need for sustainable development |
| fact the US State Department specifically warns | | | | in the Delta states. It goes on to add that most of |
| Nigeria-bound travellers to be wary of innovative | | | | the militant are "able-bodied youths whose energies |
| scams hatched over the Internet that pose the risk | | | | could be harnessed for the development of the Niger |
| of both financial loss and personal danger. | | | | Delta and the nation at large5." |
| Over many years of political and social turmoil, the | | | | As is the case with most seemingly intractable |
| accumulation of small crimes has transformed Nigeria | | | | problems, the problem of Nigeria's youth crime also |
| into an established transit point on drug routes | | | | contains its solution! |
| headed for European and North America. Due to its | | | | |