POLITICAL SCIENCE

This study examines the impact of Federal Government programmes on youth empowerment in Nigeria, with particular focus on the Niger Delta region. Youth empowerment remains a critical strategy for addressing unemployment, poverty, restiveness, and socio-economic instability in Nigeria. Over the years, the Federal Government has introduced several intervention programmes such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), and N-Power, aimed at improving youth skills acquisition, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship development, and economic inclusion. The study adopts a descriptive survey research design, utilizing both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to selected youths in the Niger Delta, while secondary data were obtained from government publications, journals, and policy documents. The findings reveal that although Federal Government programmes have contributed to skill acquisition, job creation, and improved livelihood for some beneficiaries, challenges such as inadequate funding, corruption, poor implementation strategies, political interference, and limited accessibility have significantly reduced their overall effectiveness. The study concludes that while Federal Government youth empowerment initiatives have made measurable impacts in the Niger Delta, their potential has not been fully realized. It recommends improved transparency, proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, increased funding, community participation, and policy continuity to enhance programme effectiveness and ensure sustainable youth empowerment in the region.

This study critically examines gender politics and women's participation in Nigerian politics, focusing on the 2020 governorship election in Edo state. Through four key research objectives, the project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing women in Nigerian politics. Firstly, it analyzes historical trends in women's political participation, spanning from pre-colonial eras to the present day. Secondly, it explores the socio- cultural, economic, and political barriers that inhibit women's empowerment in Nigeria, including patriarchal norms and institutional biases. Thirdly, the study evaluates existing strategies and policies aimed at promoting women's political participation, such as affirmative action and gender quotas. Finally, based on these analyses, the project proposes recommendations to enhance women's political empowerment in Nigeria, encompassing legislative reforms, institutional changes, and grassroots mobilization efforts. Through this research, the study contributes to the scholarly discourse on gender politics and women's
empowerment in Nigeria, offering insights to inform policy-making and advocacy initiatives toward achieving gender equality in the political sphere. This research utilizes a quantitative data collection method. A well-structured questionnaire was
used to obtain information from 164 respondents. Findings revealed that women's participation is still at a lower level during the 2020 governorship election in Edo State. The results highlight the persistent gender disparities in political representation and engagement, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to promote gender equality and increase women's political participation. The findings contribute to the ongoing discourse on gender and politics in Nigeria, emphasizing
the importance of addressing the systemic barriers that hinder women's full participation in the political sphere

This research study investigated government and development in South-Southern Nigeria: an evaluation of Edo State and Delta State (2019-2023). The study aimed to evaluate the impact of government policies on development outcomes in Edo and Delta States, assess the effectiveness of government initiatives in promoting economic growth, infrastructure development, and human capital development, and identify challenges to effective governance and development in both states. Anchored on structural functionalism theory as the theoretical framework of the study, qualitative research methods and interview to obtain information and employ thematic analysis to analyze data. The research unveils that government initiatives such as scholarships have improved the rate of youth participation in higher education, while vocational training has improved youth economic empowerment, the study established corruption as a major cause of project failure which in turn hinders good governance and most of the political leadership in the region is corrupt and this has serious implications for development. It was suggested that NDDC should increase the number of their development programmers and projects, particularly in such areas as physical infrastructural development, school and capacity building, economic empowerment employment, and environmental protection and stiffer penalty should be carried out against corrupt officials of the interventionist institutions, based on trial and conviction.