Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration and Youth-Led Solutions in Nigeria: A Social Innovation and Governance Perspective from Lagos and Osun States

Abstract

Youth empowerment remains a critical policy concern in Nigeria, particularly amid persistent unemployment, limited civic participation, and fragmented governance structures. Weak coordination and insufficient youth involvement in decision-making processes often constrain outcomes, despite numerous initiatives at both the national and subnational levels. This paper examined how multi-stakeholder collaboration influences the emergence of youth-led solutions as a form of social innovation in Nigeria. Drawing on evidence from Lagos and Osun States, the study analysed the institutional arrangements, coordination mechanisms, and contextual conditions that enable or constrain youth-driven initiatives. Anchored in Collaborative Governance Theory and Co-Production Theory, the paper conceptualises youth as active co-creators of public value within interactive governance systems involving state and non-state actors. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data was collected through a structured questionnaire covering youth-focused programmes implemented between 2015 and 2024, assessing stakeholder dynamics, participation levels, and innovation outcomes. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Semi-structured interviews with institutional actors follow this phase to contextualise and explain the quantitative findings. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. Findings revealed that while collaborative arrangements enhance access to resources and opportunities, their effectiveness in fostering youth-led solutions depends on institutional inclusiveness, coordination quality, and responsiveness. The study showed that youth-led initiatives constitute emerging forms of social innovation that contribute to governance transformation. It concluded that embedding youth agency within multi-stakeholder frameworks strengthens co-production, enhances institutional legitimacy, and advances sustainable development in subnational Africa.