Clear policy communication, youth engagement key to Nigeria’s future, peace – Experts

Experts have stressed that effective policy communication and engagement with Nigeria’s vast youth population are crucial for driving policy acceptance, ensuring successful implementation, and fostering the nation’s future prosperity, inclusion, and peace.

The experts who spoke recently at Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference on “Policy Communication: Youth, Education and National Development”, agreed that a nation that fails to communicate with its youth risks its future. Nigeria’s youth population is said to be over 60 percent of the country’s estimated 237 million population.

The forum was premised on the understanding that policy formulation with the youth and effective policy communication to the youth is key success of policies and can unlock potentials and drive national development

In her presentation, Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor ,Executive Director, Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation (CADEF) said when policy is poorly communicated, even the best-designed reforms will fail to take root. “But when policy communication is clear, inclusive, and participatory, it becomes a powerful tool for ownership, accountability, and transformation”.

Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor who cited other countries that have benefitted from youth policy- engagement stressed that policy communication is not about giving orders, it is about dialogue. “It requires Clarity, ( Policies need to be explained in simple, relatable language); Accessibility (Communication channels must reach youth where they are); and Engagement (Youth should be consulted, not just informed”.

She said when young people and communities are engaged early, with information communicated in ways they can understand and act upon, the results are transformative.

In his speech, Sanwo Olu, governor of Lagos State noted that Nigeria is fortunate to have one of the largest youth populations in the world, which he said is a great strength.

“However, if we fail to channel this energy effectively, do not provide the right education, or communicate policies in ways that truly engage young people, this strength can quickly become a challenge”.

The governor who was represented by Kayode Oyekanmi, Director in Lagos information office said the solution will not come from government alone; they will come from the synergy among government, the private sector, institutions, and civil society.

Samuel Ayetutu, Chairman Lagos State Chapter NIPR, said as a nation with one of the world’s largest youth populations, “Nigeria’s future will be defined by how well we educate, empower, and engage our young people.

Ayetutu said policy, no matter how well intentioned, loses its essence if it is not effectively communicated, understood, and embraced by the people it seeks to serve.

He said policy communication is not just about dissemination; it is about building trust, ensuring inclusivity, promoting transparency, and inspiring ownership.

When policies around youth and education are communicated clearly, accurately, and credibly, they become instruments of transformation that can unlock innovation, productivity, and sustainable national development.

In his speech, Olabamiji Adeleye,Lead Consultant, Addefort Limited, the Conference Convener said this year’s theme reflects the urgent need to bridge the widening gap between policy formulation and public understanding especially in the context of youth engagement and educational reform.

Adeleye said “we are at a defining moment as a nation, where effective communication of policies is no longer a luxury but a necessity for inclusive development. Our youth represent both the present and the future. They are critical stakeholders who must be informed, engaged, and empowered”.