A Critical Examination of ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ among Nigerian Youths as a Breach of African Culture and Values
Abstract
The widespread prevalence of internet fraud, commonly referred to as "Yahoo," among Nigerian youths in recent years raises significant concerns. Its ubiquity has reached a point where security officials, parents, guardians, and citizens often perceive it as common place, showing little inclination to addressing it even when fully aware of the identities of those involved or their wards' participation. Some individuals, including parents and guardians, go as far as celebrating the ill- gotten wealth accumulated by their wards through fraudulent means. While this phenomenon can be attributed to underlying socio-economic and political factors in Nigeria, such as governance failures, high unemployment rates, and disadvantaged backgrounds, which push youths toward such activities as a means of survival, it nonetheless contravenes African cultural values.This paper contends that despite the contextual validity of the circumstances driving youths toward internet scams, which might render such behaviour seemingly justifiable, it ultimately represents a departure from African cultural norms. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of "YahooYahoo" among Nigerian youths, delving into its underlying causes. Furthermore, it seeks to elucidate how such activities not only conflict with African cultural values but also serve as a breach of societal expectations. This analysis will be anchored within the context of proverbial wisdom from distinct African ethnic groups, namely, the Akan people of Ghana, the Igbo of Southern Nigeria, and the Yoruba people of Southern Nigeria.
