- Oluwatoyin Adewale SHEYINDEMI
- Department of Sociology, Faculty of the Social Sciences, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Kogi State Nigeria
Nigeria has seen a notable increase in cybercrime, particularly among young people, as a result of the growing integration of digital technology into daily life. The impact of cyber-economic crime on Nigeria’s socioeconomic development is reviewed in this paper. Examining Nigeria’s cybercrime rate, determining the reasons behind youth cybercrime, and examining the effects of cybercrime on the nation’s socioeconomic development are among the paper’s goals. The study is based on the theories of routine activity and social disorganisation, and it uses the secondary method of data collection. The paper’s analysis of the literature shows that high rates of youth unemployment, poverty, peer pressure, a lack of cyber-regulatory enforcement, and easier access to digital technology are the main causes of cybercrime in Nigeria. According to the report, cybercrime has far-reaching effects, such as financial losses, harm to one’s reputation, a decline in national security, a decline in public confidence in digital platforms, and moral decline in young people. The paper’s conclusion asserts that cybercrime has evolved into a systemic threat to Nigeria’s progress and suggests a multifaceted strategy that includes enhanced cybercrime enforcement, policy reform, youth empowerment, and public awareness.