<h1><strong>COMMON SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA </strong></h1> CONTENT 1. Meaning of Contemporary Social Problems 2. Contemporary Social Problems in Nigeria <ul> <li>Examination Malpractice</li> <li>Cultism</li> <li>HIV/AIDS</li> </ul>   <h2><strong>Meaning of Contemporary Social Problems</strong></h2> Contemporary issues and social problems are happenings or challenges that are currently affecting many people in the society. Social problems could be described as those social vices that came about as a result of urbanization, development of cities, increase in human population, interaction among people of different social background, different ethnic groups, contact with foreign cultures, use of electronic media, ICT, TV, internet services, prohibited literature etc. <br> <h2><strong>Contemporary Social Problems in Nigeria</strong></h2> Among these social issues that have become problems are: <ol> <li>Examination malpractice</li> <li>Cultism</li> <li>Terrorism</li> <li>HIV/AIDS</li> <li>Human trafficking</li> <li>Prostitution</li> <li>Drug abuse</li> <li>Ritual killing</li> <li>Area boys syndrome</li> <li>Militancy</li> <li>Political killings</li> <li>Rigging of elections</li> <li>Advance fees fraud (419)</li> </ol> <h3><strong>Examination Malpractice</strong></h3> Examination malpractice is the term used to describe the various foul means employed by students and their helpers to pass examinations and get unmerited grades and results. Students engage in examination malpractice at every level of education but it is more pronounced at the secondary and tertiary institutions of learning. It is one of the common social problems in Nigeria and a social vice that reached a high proportion in Nigerian education sector. In recent years, government at the Federal level was forced to enact Decree 18 of 1984 in order to curtail the practice. <br> <h4><strong>Causes of Examination Malpractice</strong></h4> <ol> <li><strong>Crave for good grades:</strong> The crave to earn good grades in order to secure white collar jobs or gain admission to higher institutions.</li> <li><strong>Laziness: </strong>Those who are too lazy to study will not have the required knowledge and so want to cheat during examinations.</li> <li><strong>Truancy: </strong>Some students absent themselves from classes only to come to examination halls with intention to cheat.</li> <li><strong>Lack of self-confidence: </strong>Due to lack adequate preparation, most students lose confidence in their ability to pass and so resort to cheating.</li> <li><strong>Lack of enough provision for higher education: </strong>There is always the lack of enough space for all to gain admission into higher institutions of learning in the country. This constitute a serious factor for cheating in order to score high cut-off marks.</li> <li><strong>Preference for some courses of study over others: </strong>Parents feel proud if their children are admitted for courses like Medicine, Law, Architecture, Petroleum Engineering etc irrespective of whether their children possess the ability and interest for such courses. In order to be ranked among the successful in the society, they encourage their children in cheating to pass requisite subjects at high grades.</li> <li><strong>The desire to live big: </strong>Many students prefer pleasure to hard-work, yet they want to live big in the society. Hence they resort to cheating in examinations to secure certificates that will guarantee their success in getting high paid jobs.</li> <li><strong>Overpopulation in many schools: </strong>Since the few who do very well may be promoted or admitted into higher institutions. Students therefore cheat in order to excel in the exams and over their mates.</li> <li><strong>Corrupt invigilators and Supervisor: </strong>The students know that if they offer bribes to invigilators, they will be allowed to cheat in the examination hall. Worse still, the proposal to offer bribe for cheating will in some cases originate from the supervisors or invigilators.</li> <li><strong>Many students are desperate: </strong>Many students think that passing the examination is a “do or die” affair. They want to excel by all means. Some wants promises from parents fulfilled, others want to be on TV or newspaper as the best in one form of the examination or the other (though cheats hardly excel).</li> </ol> <br> <h4><strong>Effects of Examination Malpractice</strong></h4>

<h1><strong>CAUSES OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN NIGERIA</strong></h1> CONTENT <ol> <li>Causes of Contemporary Social Problems in Nigeria</li> </ol>   <h2><strong>Causes of Contemporary Social Problems in Nigeria</strong></h2> Some causes of social problems in Nigeria are: <ol> <li>Poverty in the midst of plenty in the society or community.</li> <li>Corruption among leaders.</li> <li>Negative Peer Group Influence</li> <li>Influence of the Mass Media</li> <li>Unchecked access to the internet.</li> <li>Divorce and broken homes</li> <li>Cheating within the group.</li> <li>Sexual immorality in the society.</li> <li>Cultism among the youths and elders.</li> <li>Parents encouraging their wards’ involvement in examination malpractice.</li> <li>Greed for wealth at all costs without legitimate labour for it.</li> <li>Lack of love and parental care in the family.</li> <li>Unfaithful religious leaders.</li> <li>Indiscipline</li> <li>Disobedience to the laws of the land.</li> <li>Ignorance</li> <li>Injustice</li> <li>Proliferation of arms and ammunition.</li> </ol> <h2><strong>Poverty</strong></h2> Poverty means the inability to provide the basic needs of life for oneself, family and dependants. This basic needs primarily are food, clothing and shelter. In addition, inability to provide quality education to enable proper and complete socialization of one’s children to make them live decent lives and be fulfilled are some of the causes of social problems in the society. This is so because children brought up improperly develop to become social deviants who are lured into all kinds of crimes and illegitimate means of making money in order to keep body and soul together. Poverty sometimes leads to broken homes and disjointed up-bringing of children. Although Nigeria is blessed with many natural resources that should make Nigerian rich, the wealth is hijacked by the few leaders and make many Nigerians to live in poverty. About 70% of the population live below the bread line; meaning that majority of Nigerians are poor in the midst of plenty. No wonder Nigeria is classified by the United Nations recently as 40^th among the world’s poorest countries.