POVERTY AND CRIMINALITY IN NIGERIA: THE NEXUS
POVERTY AND CRIMINALITY IN NIGERIA: THE NEXUS

Summary/Abstract: The study analyses the nexus between poverty and criminal activities in Nigeria. The data for the study were gathered from secondary sources, including textbooks, academic journals, newspapers, and information from the official website of the Nigerian government. These data were subjected to content analysis. The study revealed that the increase in criminal activities is a result of inequality, caused by the conversion of state resources to personal ones by a few powerful elites who are serving their interests against that of generality. And that, the increase in the rate of crimes across the country was a reaction by the poverty-threatening population to have basic needs. The study further showed that more than 70 percent of Nigeria's youths who engaged in criminal activities realized that criminal activities are veritable economic activities. The study equally revealed that systemic poverty keeps people perpetually in drought, and traumatized them. And, that poverty has a psychological influence and controls people’s thoughts, it pushes people to look for alternative ways of solving their problems, including harming others. And, those who have their desires and expectations in the areas of economic survival thwarted and cannot get their needs through legal means, may alternatively seek illegal means. The study concluded that there are strong connections between poverty and criminal activities that permeate the country. And if proactive steps are not urgently taken, the criminal perpetration may submerge the country. The study recommended that an economic summit should be convocated to discuss the economic future of the country and to address the issue of inequality.

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