Implications of Youth Unemployment and Violent Crime on the Economic Growth (a Case Study of Anambra State, Nigeria)

This study examined the implications of youth unemployment and violent crimes on the economic growth of Nigeria. The sample size was calculated using Taro Yamani‟s statistical technique. A sample of 272 persons was selected from the population of 147 business owners and 125 members of the national council of youth in Anambra state Nigeria and questionnaires were administered through simple random sampling to collect data for analysis. SPSS version 20 software was used for analysis using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to analyze the data and compare the different population of mean existing within the groups and between the groups at five-point Likert scale of strongly agreed, agree, undecided, disagree and strongly disagree. The result of hypothesis one indicated that when F-calculated value (1714.670) is greater than F tabulated value (2.53), decision rule was applied to rejects the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis that there exists a significant relationship between youth unemployment and violent crimes in Nigeria. The result of hypothesis two indicated that when F calculated value (852.659) is greater than F tabulated value (2.53) study rejects the null hypothesis and accepts the alternative hypothesis that, there exists a strong relationship between youth unemployment and violent crimes in Nigeria. The study concludes that youth unemployment affects negatively economic growth in Nigeria due to the high increase in a violent crime such as, kidnapping, robbery, thuggery and terrorism which hinders business investment and economic growth. The study recommends that the government should support unemployed youth with incentives such as unemployment benefit as it is done in developed nation like America, Europe and Asia. Finally, the government should make entrepreneurship education compulsory at all levels of education and monitor its implementation plan to ensure that both the trainees and the instructors are complying with the laid down policy and budget plan