From Scholars to Scammers: Analysing the Impact of Cybercrime Glamorisation on the Educational Development of Nigerian Youths and its Implications for National Development

Abstract

This study empirically investigates the impact of cybercrime glamorisation in Nigerian digital media on youth educational aspirations and national development. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 367 Nigerian youth aged 16-25 through an online questionnaire, supplemented by content analysis of Afrobeats videos and Nollywood clips. Findings revealed a significant negative correlation between exposure to glamorised “Yahoo-Yahoo” content and both perceived value of education (r = -0.421, p < .001) and academic engagement (r = -0.387, p < .001), confirming that media glamorisation erodes educational aspirations. Paradoxically, higher exposure correlated with a stronger perception of its detrimental impact on national development (r = 0.285, p < .001), indicating youth critical awareness despite influence. The study concludes that cybercrime glamorisation constitutes a significant non-economic barrier to human capital development, diverting youth potential from productive pathways. It recommends targeted social work interventions, including media literacy programmes and counter-narrative campaigns, to mitigate this threat and re-channel youth energies toward national development goals. The research provides crucial empirical evidence linking media narratives to developmental outcomes, filling a gap in existing literature.