Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Poverty has emerged as a critical factor shaping youth deviant behaviour across organizations operating in and around Kano State. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how poverty relates to youth deviant behaviour has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Kano State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While poverty is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on youth deviant behaviour within Kano State remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to poverty are helping or hindering youth deviant behaviour — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Poverty on youth deviant behaviour in Kano State.
2. To assess the extent to which poverty influences youth deviant behaviour within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with poverty in relation to youth deviant behaviour.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing poverty in order to improve youth deviant behaviour.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of poverty on youth deviant behaviour in Kano State?
2. To what extent does poverty influence youth deviant behaviour within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with poverty in relation to youth deviant behaviour?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize poverty in order to improve youth deviant behaviour?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around youth deviant behaviour. For managers and practitioners within Kano State, the study provides practical insight into how poverty can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on sociology by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Poverty and its relationship with youth deviant behaviour within the context of Kano State. It reflects a BSc-level scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.