Tackling youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria through entrepreneurship

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the efficacy of entrepreneurship training in providing meaningful self‐employment for the restive youths in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in order to channel their youthful energies into more productive economic activities instead of vandalism and hostage‐taking. Design/methodology/approach Data obtained from a structured questionnaire on a random sample of 100 youths in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States was factor analysed with varimax rotation to identify the most critical factors likely to influence entrepreneurial career. Spearman's ρ was applied to ascertain the overall agreement among the respondents on state basis. Findings Government, non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and institutional financial support, personal traits, experience and tolerance for risks, role model influence and availability of infrastructure and personal financial resources were the factors rated important in influencing a career in entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications The small size of the sample and focus on a limited number of states in the Niger Delta region limit the generalisability of this study. Practical implications Youths can be empowered through entrepreneurship taking advantage of its job creation potentials. Originality/value This study provides state policy makers, oil companies and NGOs additional insights about the strategies to resolve a problem that is increasingly taking its toll on oil and gas exploration and production in the region.