IMPACT OF REHABILITATION ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA: THE NIGER DELTA EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This paper investigated impacts of rehabilitation program on socio-economic development of Niger Delta, Nigeria. Many youths were granted amnesty by the federal government given supportive rehabilitation. The paper anchored on “The Reformative Theory.” The paper is a survey design. Materials were sort through well-structured questionnaires, journals and internet. 150 samples were utilized from among youths that agitated for resource control in Niger Delta region.  Data for this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics of tables, frequency, percentages and mean, bar charts and pie charts. Descriptive statistics and group arithmetic mean (GAM), and Mean weight Value (MWV) were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that more of the youths were involved in the agitation for resource control and arms struggle in the Niger Delta region with greater number of males and had 12 months of rehabilitation program. The rehabilitation resulted to increased (high) access to education, income, employment and poverty level. However, the program still left negative (low) effect on poverty level, infrastructural provision, and sanitary environment of Niger Delta region. The study recommended that federal government or its agencies should ensure that projects started in the Niger Delta are completed at record time to stamp out youth restiveness in the region. The 13 per cent derivation formula requested by the region should be accepted to increase the level of developmental infrastructural request of the people of Niger Delta. Subsequent rehabilitation programs should be reviewed to include absorption of rehabilitated youths by oil companies in the region. Federal government should take seriously the issue of misappropriation of annual funds allocation to the region for projects, skills such as hair dressing, tailoring, welding works, aluminum fabrications, scholarships and others.