The Study of the Remote Causes of Restiveness in the Niger Delta Area of Southern Nigeria

An Empirical Analyses of the Impact of Criminal Activities along the Water Ways on the Economy in the Niger Delta Area

Abstract

This study projected the theme: ‘Remote Causes of Restiveness in the Niger Delta Area of Southern Nigeria: An Empirical Analyses of the Impact of Criminal Activities along the Water Ways on the Economy in the Niger Delta Area’. The aim of the study is pointedly to investigate into the remote causes of criminal activities along the water ways in the Niger Delta area through the specific objectives of ascertaining the relationship between the dimensions of Criminal Activities along the Niger Delta area and the measures of Poor Economy, and how the moderating variables positively influenced and the suppressor variables negatively influenced the relationship between Criminal Activities and Poor Economy. By the doctrine of agreement reality, Rivers State, Bayelsa State and Delta State were the areas covered by this study. A population of 4130 persons, made up of the boat operators, the inland waterways officials and the passengers was the parameter for this study. A sample size of 897 persons, determined by the use of Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample determination table was used as the information base. A cross-sectional design method was used to extract primary information from the research respondents, using a questionnaire. Scientific Package for Social Sciences (Version 25) and EViews 10 were used to do the univariate and bivariate analyses and the assumption testing to ascertain that the instrument used for this study was valid and reliable; the constructs (variables) were scientifically suitable to achieve the study objectives to avoid type 1, type 2 and type 3 errors. The objective findings of this study were that: there was a significant relationship between criminal activities along the water ways and Poor Economy in the Niger Delta area; Desire, Opportunity and Target positive influencers, while Duty of Care and Employment were negative influencers in the relationship between criminal activities and poor economy in the Niger Delta area. There were also a number of serendipitous findings from this study. The conclusion from this study was that government’s negligence of providing duty of care and employment are the root causes of restiveness in the Niger Delta area. Recommendations, based on the objective and serendipitous findings were proposed.