GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

This study examined the roles of local government chairmen in creating employment for the rural youths in Akwa Ibom State. Descriptive design was adopted to carry out this research. The targeted population comprised all unemployed and employed youths in Akwa Ibom State. Stratified Sample technique was used to 15 unemployed youths from Eket, Uyo, and Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, and 25 employed youths were also selected from the same senatorial districts, in Akwa Ibom State This gave a total of 120 respondents which formed the sample size used in carrying out this research. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “Local Government Chairmen and Employment Creation Questionnaire (LGCECQ)”. Face and content validation of the instrument was carried out by an expert in test, measurement, and evaluation in order to ensure that the instrument has the accuracy, appropriateness, and completeness for the study under consideration. The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.91, and this was high enough to justify the use of the instrument. The researcher subjected the data generated for this study to appropriate statistical technique such as descriptive statistics to answer research questions. The result of the findings showed that “reduction of poverty and hunger” among others was the most prominent need for employment by the Local Government Chairmen by promoting agricultural development. It also revealed that “agribusiness” among other roles was the most prominent performed by Local Government Chairmen in creating employment for the rural youths in Akwa Ibom State. The study concluded that youth unemployment remains a major challenge in Akwa Ibom State, limiting development and deepening poverty. One of the recommendations made was that Local government chairmen should develop and implement policies that prioritize youth employment, such as incentives for small businesses, agricultural empowerment programs, and vocational training initiatives.

Keywords: Local Government Chairmen, Employment, Rural Youths and AkwaIbom State

Introduction