Abstract
The paper examines youth bulge and insecurity in Nigeria with a focus on South East Region. The objectives of the study were to discover if rising youth population (youth budge) is responsible for insecurity in South Eastern Nigeria, find out the effect of youths bulge on socio-economic development of the region and to suggest measures to contain youths involvement in insecurity in South East Nigeria. Youth bulge theory was adopted as the theoretical framework of analysis. The research design adopted for the study is survey research design while data were collected through questionnaire instrument. The study used purposive sampling technique to select a sample size of 156 participants/subjects. The study found that the rising youths population (youth budge) accounts for insecurity in South Eastern Nigeria as majority of the activities that triggers insecurity in the zone are committed by youth; that youths involvement in insecurity has adverse effect on the socio-economic development of South Eastern Nigeria and often lead to closure of markets, destruction of lives and properties and undermine developmental activities. The paper recommends ethical revolution among the youths, reversion to Igbo value system of learning handwork, apprenticeship, and agricultural production, birth control policy as well as policies that empower the youths to sustain themselves without reliance on none existing white collar job as measures to contain rising insecurity occasioned by youth bulge in the Eastern Nigeria.