An Investigation into Some Negative Socio-Economic Effects of Desertification On Youth of the Ten Desertification Prone Local Government Areas of Jigawa and Yobe States

Abstract

In every society youth are the backbone of its socio-economic development. Therefore, any effort to make the youth comfortable and law abiding in the society to make up to expectation in discharging their national development duty is a welcome idea. Against this background an empirical survey research was  conducted in the study area which derived its respondents by random sampling technique and analyzed the result obtained using frequency and percentage,
which revealed among other things that, the best way to fight desertification in developing nations is by afforestation and sustainable forest management,40.47% percent of the respondents are between the age brackets of 18-38, 96.27% are male, 82% are married, and 65.34% are farmers, 56.80% do not have up to secondary school educational qualification, 47% opined that decision on new issues are taken by the community as a whole, 71%of the youths
move to Lake TChad area after harvest for off-farm economic activities, 45.60% of the respondents are of the opinion that reduction in agricultural output in the area is caused by the sin committed by the leaders, the people of the study area showed that there are different government intervention in their areas in order to manage the problem of poverty and hunger. The research work concluded that, there is reduction in crop and livestock production and absent of off-farm economic activities in the area leading to high degree of poverty and hunger. Desertification hinders the economic activities in Lake TChad region adding to the economic  hardship on youth of the area making them easy target for recruitment by cash awarding insurgents. There is also masculine dominance in the area and low level of Western education further exacerbated the problem of indolence. Though decision on new issues is unanimously taken by the community minimizes introduction of undesirable idea into the area but absence of off-farm economic activities send the youth outside the study area and return back home with such undesirable ideas into the community. The work also recommends government provision of off-farm economic activities to keep the youth at home and to strengthen the idea of unanimous decision taken, provide knowledgeable extension workers and effective education in the area to keep the youth busy in the area and participate fully in its development. Encourage a forestation to increase soil fertility and check desertification.