AN EMPERICAL STUDY OF YOUTH AND POVERTY IN KEFFI TOWN, NASARAWA STATE - NIGERIA

The prevalence of Poverty, which is the inability of an individual to live an easy ant= comfortable livelihood and accessing basic means of daily survival, in developing societies is not new and in Nigeria it is widespread across the country. The poverty condition o," majority of Nigerian youth, that is young people within the age bracket 18 to 35years, hasforso long been seriously neglected both in terms of research and provision of infrastructures, as well as, access to basic means of livelihood by researchers and the government respectively. The poverty condition ofmost youth in Nigeria today is alarming. This paper is an empirical study of the poverty condition ofthe youth in Keffi Town, Nigeria. The objective is to provide information which will help develop policies and programmes that will take care ofthe youth that are poor in our communities. The paper argues that youth poverty is not only real but the condition ofthe youth that are poor in our communities is highly precarious. The paper suggested that until some good measures are taken especially in the area of research and provision of basic infrastructures and access to opportunities, youth poverty may rise to an embarrassing proport ion that will circumvent any meaningful development in the country.