Graduates Unemployment and Criminality in Ado-Ekiti

This paper examines the effect of unemployment on the behavior of the university graduates in Ado-Ekiti and their immediate environment. Hanging the study on strain theory of Robert K. Merton, It is observed that Nigerian society places much emphasis on goals without making adequate provision for the means of achieving them; the tendency is to resort to deviant means. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed, using simple random sampling to select four political wards out of the twelve in the study site; accidental sampling method was employed to pick 100 respondents from each of the political wards selected. Responses were solicited through questionnaire. Data gathered were analyzed with SPSS (statistical package for social sciences). Frequency tables were generated and hypotheses tested using chi-square to discuss the relationship between unemployment and criminal behavior among graduates in Ado-Ekiti. The study emphasized the urgent need for government to encourage the establishment of local firms and industries, develop agricultural sector to absorb the mass of unemployed youths and give out revolving loans to graduates to start up their own businesses. The paper concludes that there should be introduction of entrepreneurship and vocational training in to all levels of educational curriculum in Nigeria for versatility and skills acquisition.