Abstract

The spate of criminal activities in rural Nigeria poses threat to the livelihood of rural families and food security. The absence of social infrastructures contributed to the rising unemployment that drives criminality in rural Nigeria. The aim of the review is to examine the factors that are contributing to rural crime in Nigeria. Secondary data were used to describe the trends of youth unemployment in Nigeria. Population dynamics, poverty and lack of access to resources drive youth unemployment which fuels crime in rural areas in Nigeria. The increasing number of unemployed youth (27.3 million in 2010 and 44.2 million in 2018) paved way for crime to thrive in rural areas. The review concluded that the absence of employment opportunities in rural areas fuels the increased criminality which is greatly affecting the livelihoods of rural dwellers in Nigeria and recommended that infrastructural development and provision of employment opportunities in rural communities will contribute to the reduction of rural crime in Nigeria.

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