Abstract

This paper examines the challenges of Tiv Youths’development in contemporary society and attempts a socio-political-cum-economic analysis of the way forward. The paper made use of secondary sources of data to get the required information for its analysis. Thus, content analysis of existing literature relevant to the issues under consideration was employed to get the findings. Meanwhile, David Easton’s Systems Theory was used as a theoretical framework of analysis. The major findings of this paper are that the youths of any society are often referred to as future leaders of that society; the society therefore is bound to have challenges in a nearest future if the youths of that society are faced with challenges that are not carefully solved. It also means that a society is not properly secured if the welfare of the youths who are considered the bedrock of that society is not properly taken into consideration. Among the challenges facing the development of Tiv youths in contemporary society have been pointed out to include political violence and disempowerment of the youths in Tiv land; refusal to help the younger ones by the Tiv Elites; traditional practices and the “Iyuhe” syndrome amongst the Tivs; emergence of ‘house-help’ phenomenon and the resultant challenges; lack of interest in education on the part of the youths in modern day Tiv society; materialism and the challenges of Tiv youths’ development in contemporary society; laziness and lack of entrepreneur skills as challenges; early marriage and the challenges of Tiv youths’ development; lack of interest in Girl-child education among the Tiv and the challenges; bad company or relations and the challenges of Tiv youths, etc.We recommend here, amongst other things, that the reverse of the problems identified as challenges of youths’ development in contemporary Tiv society be the case for enhanced progress and development of not only the Tiv youths but Tivethnic nationality and Nigeria at large.

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