"THE IMPACT OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF KOGI STATЕ".

This study assessed the impact of Youth Unemployment on Socio-Economic development, with a particular reference to Kogi State, North-central Nigeria. The study focused on finding out the levels of unemployment in Kogi State, the probablе causes and consequences, with the view of proffering realistic remedies. Data for the study were elicited from both primary and secondary sources. The secondary sources included review of relevant literature in journals and textbooks. The primary sources were however obtained from questionnaires administered to 160 sampled respondents selected via the judgemental sampling technique. Their responses were subsequently analyzed with the aid of frequency distribution tables and simple percentages respectively. The findings revealed that the high degree of unemployment in Kogi State is attributable to the scanty presence of industries in the state. Also, the high level of a factor in the high levels of unemployment in the state is criminality in the state. And as a results adversely affects socio-economic development. Consequently, the study recommended massive infrastructural provisioning and rapid industrialization as the solution to youth unemployment.