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Youth Unemployment and the Politics of Get-Rich Quick Syndrome in the South-East: A Study of Youths Involvement in Okeite

🗓️ September 21, 2026 📚 The Multidisciplinary Review Vol. 1 Issue 3
Mark, Kingsley Chinonso PhD1✉,Obi, Chinenye Blessing1
1 Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria
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Abstract

Youth unemployment, a pressing socio-economic challenge in Nigeria, with the South-east region experiencing disproportionately high rates due to structural inequalities, weak governance, and economic instability. The paper examines the intricate relationship between youth unemployment and the politics of "Get-Rich Quick" syndrome—a socio-cultural phenomenon that glorifies rapid wealth accumulation through unconventional and often illicit, means. Specifically, the study investigates the rising youth involvement in Okeite, a localized term referring to practice of money rituals, and other informal economic activities perceived as shortcuts to wealth. The paper utilizes the qualitative research methods and draws from Dependency theory and Structural-Functionalism to interrogate how Nigeria's rentier-state model, political corruption, and neoliberal economic policies have fostered a context where legal avenues to wealth seem unattainable to the average youth. Hence, these economic disenfranchisements, peer influence, declining moral values, and the failure of state institutions contribute to the normalization of Okeite among youths in the South East. Findings indicate political neglect, and cultural pressure leading to widespread participation in high-risk activities as a survival mechanism. The implications of this trend are far-reaching, impacting national security and economic stability. The study recommends a multi-pronged approach that includes targeted political reforms aimed at restoring faith in legitimate socio-economic mobilization of youths, through employment and empowerment programs and initiatives by establishment of regional youth employment and entrepreneurship hubs among others.
Keywords: Youth, Unemployment, Youth Unemployment, Get-Rich Quick, Okeite

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© 2026 GNR Publication. Published under the CC BY 4.0 License. Archived in the Internet Archive. ISSN: 3139-6801.
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