Digital Governance and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria: Reimagining Public Administration in the 21st Century

Abstract

The digital era is reshaping public administration through the introduction of innovative tools that enhance governmental effectiveness, transparency, and opportunities for participatory governance.  Youth play a pivotal role in this evolution, as their aspirations, digital fluency, and civic engagement position them as both beneficiaries and catalysts of administrative reform. Utilising their potential is crucial for governments seeking to modernise service delivery and foster inclusive governance in complex and dynamic socio-political environments. This study analyses the implementation of digital technologies within public administration, focussing on their impact on youth empowerment in Nigeria. As digital platforms become more integral to public service delivery and citizen engagement, administrative frameworks must evolve to meet emerging demands. This desk-based qualitative study systematically analyses secondary sources, including government reports, policy briefs, and scholarly literature, to investigate the evolving relationship between digital transformation in public administration and youth empowerment. The research employs a hybrid theoretical framework integrating Digital Era Governance (DEG), Empowerment Theory, and New Public Governance (NPG) to analyse institutional adaptations and the evolving patterns of youth agency in digitally mediated governance environments. The findings disclose a complex environment defined by various opportunities and challenges. Digital technologies enhance administrative accessibility, improve information dissemination, advance youth perspectives, and enable interactive and networked forms of engagement. Enduring structural inequalities, digital divides, institutional inertia, and capacity deficits continue to impede equitable youth participation in governance processes. The analysis underscores the necessity for deliberate and inclusive strategies to overcome these barriers and concludes with actionable recommendations for public administrators and policymakers, stressing the importance of inclusive digital policies, youth-focused institutional reforms, and collaborative governance frameworks. These strategies are essential for improving responsive, participatory, and equitable public administration, which is vital for empowering younger generations and meeting the evolving demands of governance in the 21st century.