Activities of Youth Restiveness and Militancy in the Development of Rural Areas in Southern Nigeria

The study examined the effects of youth restiveness and militancy in the development of the rural areas in Rivers State. Data obtained from 100 randomly sampled respondents in two local government areas were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study revealed poverty (87.7%), unemployment (88%), use of youths for election purposes by politicians (69.4%) and cultism (60%) were the main causes of militancy and youth restiveness in the study area. The effects of this in rural development were, the abandonment of projects meant to help the rural people (M=2.80), insecurity (M=2.70), migration (M=2.70), cultural and social distortion (M=2.80) and high cost of project execution (M=2.65). Government and non-governmental agencies have intervened by providing skill acquisition programmes (70%), amnesty programme (60%) and providing military presence (80%) to arrest the situation. The factors militating against government and non-governmental agencies efforts were corruption (77%), its being a source of revenue for some (76%) and insincerity on the part of government (56%). It is therefore recommended that the faithfulness of government in the affairs of things would go a long way in bringing peace and security to the region for an enabling environment that would enhance rural growth.