Socioeconomic Deprivation and Peer Network Influence on Youth Thuggery and Hooliganism in Nigeria: A Sociological Analysis

Youth thuggery and hooliganism remain persistent forms of social disorder in Nigeria, especially in urban centres and politically volatile environments where poverty, unemployment, weak social control and elite manipulation converge. This paper examines how socioeconomic deprivation and peer network influence youth involvement in thuggery and hooliganism across Nigeria. The study is anchored on strain theory, which explains how blocked access to legitimate opportunities may push young people toward deviant alternatives, and on differential association theory, which accounts for the social learning of violent behaviour through peer interactions. Using a qualitative documentary design, the paper draws on peer-reviewed scholarship, policy reports and development documents sourced from credible academic databases and institutional repositories. The analysis shows that youth violence in Nigeria is closely linked to unemployment, poverty, exclusion, weak institutional support and peer subcultures that reward aggression and collective misconduct. Incidents of youth violence have been reported in several parts of the country, including Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Kano, Kaduna, Benue, Osun and Plateau States, often in the form of political thuggery, street fighting, cult-related violence and public disorder. The paper argues that punitive responses alone are insufficient and recommends integrated interventions that combine employment creation, educational inclusion, youth empowerment, community engagement and the disruption of violent peer networks.