Unemployment and Youth Restiveness in Nsukka Local Government Area: An Economic Perspective

Youth unemployment has remained one of the most pressing socioeconomic challenges in Nigeria, and its implications for social stability in semi-urban communities like Nsukka are increasingly visible. This study investigates the economic relationship between unemployment and youth restiveness in Nsukka Local Government Area (LGA), Enugu State, with particular focus on trends observed between 2020 and 2024. The study is theoretically anchored on the Strain Theory of Anomie, which contends that the disconnect between societal goals and the legitimate means of achieving them generates social tension and deviant behavior. A survey research design was adopted, targeting unemployed youths aged 18 to 35 years residing in Nsukka LGA. The population was estimated at 18,000 individuals, from which a sample of 390 respondents was drawn using proportionate random sampling. Structured questionnaires and key informant interviews served as instruments of data collection. Findings reveal that 68 percent of respondents attributed their involvement in or sympathy for restive activities to economic marginalization and prolonged unemployment. Low absorptive capacity of local industries, skills mismatch, and limited vocational training opportunities were identified as key drivers of youth joblessness. The study concludes that unemployment is a statistically and socially significant predictor of youth restiveness in Nsukka LGA. It is recommended that government and private sector stakeholders invest substantially in vocational skill acquisition centers and expand the reach of the National Directorate of Employment programs in the local government area.

Keywords: Unemployment, youth restiveness, Nsukka, economic marginalization, vocational training