THE CONTRIBUTION OF YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN KADUNA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In Nigeria, youth activities date back to the pre-colonial era within youth, in spite of their limited number, organized themselves on age grade basis in their various communities. Today, youth in Nigeria constitute of bulk of the population, from statistics available, persons between the ages of 12 plus and 30 years account for about 43% (forty three percent) of our population. Consequently, youth are not merely an object of passing concern on academic study, but a factor to be reckoned with.

The youth are first and foremost seeking for identify. Governments and indeed the public must accord the youth his fundamental recognition. This can best be done through a national youth policy. The absence of such a policy prior to 1983 has had restrictive effects on achieving optimum results with regard to youth work in the country.

          It is a known fact that youth is:

-          An age of emotional development and upsets resulting in sudden changes in mood and behavior; and a period of idealism when the youth see life interms of theoretical ideals and concepts which need to be tested in the field of practical life.

-          It is also an impressionist age when correct ideas and images are required for good upbringing;

Youth organizations, just like any other sector, are faced with questions on their roles and achievements and whether they meet the interests of youth or not, as well as on their abilities to influence and draw general policies. The role entrusted to the youth organizations is by role, and their development and effectiveness will certainly way. Hence into being defined chronologically as a period of age between certain ages, youth is also defined functionally involve a process of transition from childhood to adult, marked by rituals or physical changes, as well as culturally, (pertaining to the role that individuals plays in a given social context).

1.2     STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study is concerned with the advantages of youth organization in  Kaduna North Local Government Area for clearity of purpose.

-          The youth are not given the opportunity or encouragement in the community, because they are lacking assistance technically and financially.

-          There are some individual that are not aware of youth organization, neither they no their vital roles, this hinder the contributions of the development of Kaduna North Local Government Area. And also the youth are not educated enough to be able to organize a forum of discussion.

-          Youth organization the highly accepted by the community, this is because of the benefits that they realized, the community have the feelings that of encouragement is not given to the youth organization the level of development of any community will be low thus, youths are the back bone of a given community.

-          Members of the community learned that youth organization encourage leisitors to different environment, developed national cohesion and discussion, a forum-for discussion on local matters is provided by them and assert in reviewing some cultural matters.

Help in creating positive opportunities for the youth. Most people today believe that these organizations have over stepped their elementary stage served by a lot of circumstances the most important of which are that they have a large space for doing their work and are partially liberated from the constraints that were imposed on them by the Isreal civil administration.

According to Pittman (1993) defines youth development as “the on going youth process in which all youths are engaged attempting to meet their basic personal and social needs to be state feel cared for, be valued and to build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives” the definition accurately describes youth development as process that all you people go through on the way to adulthood. As the definition implies, it is a process or jointly that automatically involves all of the people ground the youth family and community.

A young person will not be able to build essential skills and competencies to feel safe, cared for valued, useful and spiritually grounded unless the family and community provide me with the support and opportunities they need. Thus, youths development is also a process in which family and community must actively participate.

Ellis, (1999) the meaning of youth and the way society regard youth, varies across time and Space, as well as within societies. In particular, youth had an important gender dimension, boys and girls might experience being youth in a considerably different.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF YOUTH ORGANIZATION

The main objectives of this policy are to prepare the youth adequately for self-fulfilment and the achievement of national goals.

-          involving and ensuring the participation of youth in the social, economic and cultural development of Nigeria.

-          Inculcating the virtues of patriotism, descriptive selfless service, honesty and leadership in the youth with a view to ensuring peaceful co-existence and a purposeful sense of direction for the nation;

-          Providing opportunities for vocational training for schooled and unschooled youth oriented primarily towards self employment and self reliance;

-          Evolving and meticulously implementing a systematic programme of early ‘indoctorination” of youth on national interest, security consciousness and international awareness.

-          Making deliberate effort on a continuous basis to understand prevent and provide solutions to pressing youth problems, such as drug abuse and addiction, unemployment, etc

-          Cultivating in the Nigerian youth, leadership values, tendencies and capacity for positive role notels and role taking;

-          Organizing and committing the energies of the Nigerian youth to serve their neigbourhood, community and nation;

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTIONS

-          To what extent does lack of awareness by the public, affect roles of youth organization in community development?

-          Does inadequate finance affect effectiveness of youth in community?

-          Is the lack of technical-know how contribute to under development in a society?

-          Are youth organization playing vital role in a community?

1.5     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

At the time of this study Kaduna North Local Government Area, with the population 210,000 fifty percent (50%) of them were youth and the rest were children and the edged people. How ever the adequate financial report for the youth the area, is limited also the attitude of government has affect the effectiveness of the youth organization, therefore the study was limited to two (2) areas in Kaduna North Local Government Area.

1.6     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study is to bring about the development of Kaduna North Local Government Area through effective participation of the youth organization plays a vital role and contributed in immensely towards effective development of the society. The promoted discipline self salient and literacy and also help the younger generation to become good citizens of the society.

The study will useful to policy maters, social worker, and more especially made promoter, youth and national  development, the study is important because it serves as a guide to the organization an how to develop their areas economically. Thus improve the social well being of the community member as a whole.

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