ABSTRACT
This
study was carried out to investigate strategies for effective implementation of
youth empowerment programmes in Abia State, Nigeria. To carry out the study,
four research questions were posed. The study adopted a descriptive survey
design. The study was done in Abia North Senatorial District, Abia State. The
population of the study comprised of all the youth working with youth
led-organizations in Abia State. The population size of the study was 150. The
instrument for data collection in this study was structured questionnaire
titled: Strategies for Effective Implementation of Youth Empowerment Programme
Questionnaire (SEIYEP). Data collected were analyzed using mean scores and
standard deviation and. The major findings of the study disclosed that motivational
strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Abia
State include; adequate remuneration of trainers, disbursement of long and
short term loans, bursary scheme for youth’s educational empowerment, sharing
of sewing machines among others. Supervisory strategies for effective
implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Abia State among others
include; provision of adequate supervision task force for youth empowerment
programmes and preparation of guidelines for reporting youth empowerment
training activities. Managerial strategies for effective implementation of
youth empowerment programmes in Abia state among others include; development of
scopes and sequence of the training programmes, provision of curriculum for youth
empowerment programme and proper adherence to the curriculum contents of youth
empowerment programme. The policy strategies for effective implementation of
youth empowerment programmes in Abia State include; promulgation of decree for
compulsory youth empowerment training programmes and centres, adoption of youth
oriented policies in the state and formulation of decree for formal
entrepreneurship training programmes in institutions. Based on the findings of
the study, recommendations were made among which are: youth empowerment
programmes should be introduced in the curriculum programmes in the
institutions of higher learning, post-Primary schools should put in efforts in
teaching vocational education and skills acquisition programmes in their
various school to enable every Nigerian child to be self-reliant,
self-developed and creative, Federal, State, and Local Government should
investigate, monitor, supervisor and evaluate all skills acquisitions centres
established, run and funds by the government and Nigerian Corpers (NYSC)
serving in education sectors should use their nine months training to learn the
act of teaching and use the remaining three months to do teaching practice, to
enable them get equipped and learn teaching skills for self developed.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Youth is a period of transition from the dependency of childhood to
independency of adulthood. At this period adulthood awareness of
interdependence as a member of a community is created. Youth also constitutes
the backbone and the future of any nation. The progress and future development
of any nation depends to a large extent on the youth. This is why most nations
have concreted empowerment programmes for their youths. According to the United
Nations (2008) youth is defined as anyone between the ages of 15 and 24years.
Federal Government of Nigeria (2001) maintained that a person who is aged
between 16 and 20 years is a youth. Nevertheless, most of the definitions of
youth cited, point to a stage between adolescent and adulthood. Ejiogu (2001)
youth is a young person between childhood and adulthood. From the above, it is
clear that the definition of youth is relatively subjective, and the transition
from one stage to another will vary, therefore sticking to one age bracket can
be misleading and thus in every context it is important to outline what is
meant by the term youth.
It is also helpful to add that progressive-mindedness is one of the
defining characteristics of youth. Therefore, the current thinking is that
people beyond the
age of 36 who share the ideals of a progressive society are also considered as
youths (Uwakwe, 2014). Whatever the age limit, youths are men and women
considered to be young, energetic, vibrant and resourceful, who are often
engaged in social enterprises that require physical strength and mental
capacity (Suleiman, 2006). In Africa, like most developing countries, a person
is regarded as a youth when the individual reaches the age which is generally
referred to as the age of maturity (Ejiogu, 2001). Youth are the most
exuberant, the sharpest in memory, the most talented, the most innovative and
the healthiest in most societies. These qualities have made them the most
potent resource without which a society is lifeless. For the purpose of this
study, the researcher will utilize the age bracket of 18 – 35years to define
youth, stressing that this category represents the most active, volatile, and
yet the most vulnerable segment of the population. Since youths are considered
to be young, energetic, vibrant and resourceful, they need to be empowered for
the future development and progress of the nation.
Empowerment refers to the activity of teaching, educating, training, and
imparting knowledge, ideas, and relevant skills to the youth both within the
formal and informal education system to enable them fully participate in
development of society. This view has been supported by Nagia (2015) which set
target for the achievement of education for all youth and children. As people experience
increased power of choice, an increased power in control of their lives happen
simultaneously (Muluka, 2012). The concept of empowerment is based on
consistent tendencies of sustainable support mechanisms. This may be the reason
why Salami (2013) opined that empowerment is a means of assisting people to
overcome obstacles which might prevent them from achieving their potentials.
The need to empower arises from the inability of an individual or a group of
people to actualize their dreams and reach their greatest potential due to
artificial barriers created by individuals and other groups within the same
society. Empowerment is widely used in social work and targeted at including
people in decision making processes in their communities and raising their
level of confidence in life (Fitzsimons, Hope, Cooper & Russell, 2011).
Empowerment according to Mpofu & Indabawa (2004) is a process of enhancing
feelings of self-efficiency in communities through identification and removal
of conditions that reinforce powerlessness. The authors further explained that
empowerment has to do with the ability people have to take for an effective
control of their lives in terms of being well informed and equipped with
regards to education and finance.
This will enable them to pursue careers they desire and to achieve the
goals set by them. Also, empowerment here seeks to oppose oppression and
marginalization; it can be viewed as a process of increasing interpersonal,
socio-economic
or political power so that individuals can take action to improve their life
situation which will result to youth empowerment.
Youth Empowerment according to Valrus and Fletcher (2006) is an
attitudinal, structural and cultural process whereby young people gain ability,
authority and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives
and the lives of other people including adults. Olajire and Komolafe (2013)
stated that youths are empowered when they acknowledge that they have or can
create choices of life, and are aware of the implications of these choices,
make an informed decision and accept responsibility for the consequences of
those actions. Muluka (2012) sees youth empowerment as an attitudinal,
structural, and cultural process whereby young people derive the ability,
willingness, readiness and authority to make decisions and implement positive change
in their own lives and to the intended beneficiaries around them. According to
Fletcher (2005), youth empowerment means creating and supporting the enabling
conditions under which young people can act on their own behalf, and on their
own terms, rather than at the direction of others. It simply means assisting
the youth to overcome the difficulties which might prevent them from achieving
their potentials. Omotere (2011) defined youth empowerment as a process whereby
young people gain the ability and authority to make decisions and implement
change in their own lives. The author further....
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