STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Abia State, Nigeria.  To carry out the study, four research questions were posed. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The study was done in Abia North Senatorial District, Abia State. The population of the study comprised of all the youth working with youth led-organizations in Abia State. The population size of the study was 150. The instrument for data collection in this study was structured questionnaire titled: Strategies for Effective Implementation of Youth Empowerment Programme Questionnaire (SEIYEP). Data collected were analyzed using mean scores and standard deviation and.  The major findings of the study disclosed that motivational strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Abia State include; adequate remuneration of trainers, disbursement of long and short term loans, bursary scheme for youth’s educational empowerment, sharing of sewing machines among others. Supervisory strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Abia State among others include; provision of adequate supervision task force for youth empowerment programmes and preparation of guidelines for reporting youth empowerment training activities. Managerial strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Abia state among others include; development of scopes and sequence of the training programmes, provision of curriculum for youth empowerment programme and proper adherence to the curriculum contents of youth empowerment programme. The policy strategies for effective implementation of youth empowerment programmes in Abia State include; promulgation of decree for compulsory youth empowerment training programmes and centres, adoption of youth oriented policies in the state and formulation of decree for formal entrepreneurship training programmes in institutions. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made among wrhich are: youth empowerment programmes should be introduced in the curriculum programmes in the institutions of higher learning, post-Primary schools should put in efforts in teaching vocational education and skills acquisition programmes in their various school to enable every Nigerian child to be self-reliant, self-developed and creative, Federal, State, and Local Government should investigate, monitor, supervisor and evaluate all skills acquisitions centres established, run and funds by the government and Nigerian Corpers (NYSC) serving in education sectors should use their nine months training  to learn the act of teaching and use the remaining three months to do teaching practice, to enable them get equipped and learn teaching skills for self developed.