Investigating the Role of Social Workers in the Crisis of Identity Confronting Nigerian Youths

The youth constitutes a sizeable percentage of the Nigerian population and they are the actively energetic than other age groups. Historically speaking, they are the change agents of development and progress in society.  The nationalists who fought and won the struggle for independence were in their 20s and 30s years of age in Nigeria and other African nations. However, in the light of the present realities, the youths have seemingly been transformed to be used as triggers of violent crises and this consequently distorts their identity. The study examines the crisis of identity among the Nigerian youth, using the Erikson’s theory of identity and psycho-social development. The In-Depth Interview guide was used to collect the qualitative data. The paper investigates the issue of identity crisis confronting young people in Nigeria. The results reveal some of the factors responsible for identity crisis among the youths. It concludes that Nigerian youth identity crisis is a product of the contradictions in the political economy and failure over the obligations of the State towards the citizenry. Social workers, especially school social workers were recommended to enhance the social functioning of youths and young adolescents in Nigerian society so as to prevent youth identity crisis.