Asian Journal of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities Vol. 4, No. 2, 2016 ISSN 2311-3782 Multidisciplinary Journals www.multidisciplinaryjournals.com 65 THE EFFECT OF POLITICAL EFFICACY AND CITIZENSHIP NORMS ON CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN NIGERIA: STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE Ahmadu, Talatu Salihu., Prof. Madya Dr. Yahya Bin Don & Dr. Ismail Hussein Hamzat Awang Saleh Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok Kedah Darul Aman, MALAYSIA ABSTRACT Not many attempts are made in previous studies to conceptualize and validate a model using PLS in the context of civic engagement research. However, the adoption of partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is progressively more accepted for its expediency in unravelling structural models. This study presents result of civic engagement research that utilised the PLS-SEM to analyse how political efficacy and citizenship norms affect civic engagement of students. A total sample of five hundred and eighty-four (584) young people from eight universities sited in north-west geopolitical zone, Nigeria were involved in the study. Students completed a self administered questionnaire that was anchored on a 5- Likert-scale. The results signify an acceptable validity and reliability outcomes and all of the hypothesised relationships were confirmed. This suggests our study established a considerable relationship between DCN and CVE, ECN and CVE, with PEB and CVE. Therefore, we extend empirical research in the civic engagement sphere. Keywords: Citizenship Norms, Political Efficacy, Civic Engagement; Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM), Nigeria. INTRODUCTION Researches on civic engagement have continued to grow among researchers because of its expediency in democratic system. Such that Putnam, Leonardi, & Nanetti (1994) promulgate it in their famous book of „Making Democracy Work‟. Accordingly, civic engagement has become trendy in political discourse, on the pages of newspapers, academic journals and books, as well students are encouraged to study it in educational institutions (Ekman & Amnå, 2012; Putnam et al., 1994). Some scholars like Dalton, (2008) and Copeland, (2014) clearly argued that young people‟s perception of civil involvement determines and is imperative to civil action (e.g. voting, lobbing, protesting and volunteering). Thus, citizens who are engaged are said to be good citizens (citizenship norm). People‟s norms are in real a key determinant in civic engagement, because of its dominant motivating force in influencing individual‟s behaviour to participation (Dalton, 2006; Pateman, 1970). Hence, citizenship norm is seen to play an essential function in helping to explain how and why people‟s behaviour in civic and political life differs (Theiss-Morse, & Hibbing, 2005). To put simply, individuals‟ interests in civil activities are as a result of their views about good citizenship. Apart from norms of citizenship, other factors responsible for making people partake in civil activities amongst which entail political efficacy, civic knowledge, democratic classroom climate, volunteerism, pro-social values and activities, and political socialization (Dalton, 2008; Kahne & Sporte, 2008; Manganelli, Lucidi, & Alivernini, 2014). Political efficacy concerns a person‟s ability to be able to change the society for better, which are generally documented as central to democratic outlook and actions (civil participation) in young adults. Although, scholars have reservations on how they visualize civic engagement (Berger, 2009). However, Sherrod, Torney-Purta,& Flanagan (2010) acknowledged that arguing differently on the same concept is not the issue but clarifying the basis for argument