Enhancing Community Security in Nigeria through Youth Participation: Challenges, Innovations, and Governance Implications

This paper examined the role of youth participation in community security governance in Nigeria, a country where young people constitute over 60% of the population yet remain systematically excluded from security decision-making processes. Drawing on participatory governance theory, the securitisation of youth framework and human security approaches, the paper argueds that sustainable community security in Nigeria cannot be achieved without the meaningful inclusion of young people in governance structures. The study employed qualitative analysis of policy frameworks, institutional mechanisms and emerging practices across Nigerian states, drawing on recent empirical evidence from 2020–2026. Findings revealed that while Nigeria has developed progressive policy frameworks—including the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security and various state-level initiatives—implementation remains the critical challenge. Youth exclusion from security governance manifests through symbolic representation without decision-making power, inadequate funding for youth-led security initiatives, and the persistence of top-down security models that treat young people as threats rather than partners. However, emerging innovations across states demonstrate the potential of youth-led security strategies: Akwa Ibom's integration of Village Youth Presidents into security architecture, Kano's Neighbourhood Watch Corps, Lagos's Police-Youth Dialogue programme, and Ogun State's youth-led community security strategies. The paper contributes to theoretical debates on participatory security governance and offers practical recommendations for institutional reform, including the establishment of Youth-Police Advisory Councils, the mainstreaming of youth inclusion in security sector reform, and the development of community-based security frameworks that recognise young people as co-producers of security.

Youth Participation, Security, Nigeria, Governance, Peace

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