For too long, open government reforms in Nigeria have been framed without the deliberate inclusion of young people, despite the fact that youth represent the country’s largest demographic and are among the most affected by governance outcomes. As Nigeria co-creates its Fourth National Action Plan (NAP IV) under the Open Government Partnership (OGP), the current process offers a historic opportunity: to embed youth perspectives, digital realities, and inclusive governance practices into the nation’s reform agenda for the next four years.
Youth Dialogue in Akure
The Initiatives for AI, Fact-Checking, Digital Rights, Research and Development (FactCheckAfrica), represented by Mustapha Lawal, participated in the South-West Regional Dialogue on Strengthening Youth Participation in the OGP Process in Nigeria, held in Akure, Ondo State. The gathering formed part of a nationwide series of consultations designed to bring young people into the co-creation of Nigeria’s Fourth Open Government Partnership (OGP) National Action Plan (NAP IV).
Since joining OGP in 2016, Nigeria has implemented three National Action Plans that have advanced reforms in fiscal transparency, anti-corruption, access to information and civic engagement. Yet, while progress has been recorded, youth perspectives and the realities of digital governance have not always been at the centre of these reforms. The Akure dialogue, co-hosted by PROMAD Foundation, the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF), the OGP National Secretariat, and SERDEC, provided a crucial opportunity to correct this gap by ensuring that young Nigerians influence the commitments that will guide open government reforms from 2026 to 2029.
FactCheckAfrica’s Intervention
At the dialogue, FactCheckAfrica, through Mustapha Lawal, advanced perspectives on how youth inclusion must go beyond token consultation and become a deliberate feature of implementation and monitoring. The organisation stressed that digital governance is no longer optional, but central to how governments communicate, deliver services, and engage with citizens. However, reforms must bridge Nigeria’s stark information divides; otherwise, digitisation risks reinforcing inequality. Equally, access to information must be prioritised through proactive compliance with the Freedom of Information Act and the establishment of open digital platforms where citizens, especially young people, can obtain government data in real time.
These interventions in Akure were grounded in FactCheckAfrica’s broader work in strengthening Nigeria’s information ecosystem. Through fact-checking initiatives, the organisation has monitored and exposed gaps in the enforcement of transparency laws, flagged misinformation that undermines public trust, and promoted digital rights that empower citizens to access credible information. For instance, its tracking of government communication on fiscal transparency has revealed inconsistencies in published data and highlighted the urgent need for open contracting standards that are accessible to the public. Its digital rights advocacy has also raised awareness of the risks of exclusion when technology reforms are pursued without considering connectivity gaps or the needs of marginalised communities. These experiences lent weight to the recommendations presented in Akure, ensuring that they were grounded in civic realities.
Moving Forward
The dialogue reinforced the understanding that Nigeria’s OGP process must embrace young people not as passive observers but as co-creators and watchdogs. It also underscored that transparency in the digital age depends on more than publishing documents; it requires structured, accessible, and usable information systems that serve the needs of all citizens. By participating in this process, FactCheckAfrica reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the monitoring of commitments in NAP IV, advocating for technology-driven reforms, and equipping young Nigerians with the skills and tools to engage meaningfully with governance.
As the outcomes from Akure, together with inputs from the other regional consultations, are synthesised into a national youth report to guide the finalisation of NAP IV at the Abuja convening, one imperative stands out: policymakers must act decisively to institutionalise youth inclusion, prioritise digital governance as a flagship commitment, and guarantee access to information as a fundamental right. Doing so will not only advance transparency and accountability but also secure the trust and engagement of the next generation in Nigeria’s democratic future.
