The problem of youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region has been blamed on failures by government and the private sector.
Port Harcourt-based youth and environment rights advocate, FINEFACE DUMNAMENE, said in the absence of positive engagement, some young people turn to social vices.
DUMNAMENE said “no serious youth engagement activities, programmes or policy put in place from 2015 till date.”
“The moment you come into public space as a youth you are giving guns to participate in elections like the leaders are doing and at the end of elections, they are unable to retrieve these arms from them and you have incidences of crime after that” he added.
DUMNAMENE further lamented that Nigerian youths are not effectively being prepared for global action, as being advocated by the United Nations.
“The civic space in Nigeria is shrinking, the youth don’t have opportunities within the Nigerian system. Government is not even creating any possible, popular project and programme that will encourage the youth to be able to be innovative to participate in community development, local development, national development; to the extent of participating in international systems; taking those global actions that are required in line with the millennium development goals.”