Chapter 2: Stakeholder Engagement as Policy Instrument for Green Innovation and Development: A Study of Nigeria's Government Engagement with Educators

Purpose: Nigeria is very active on the international scene in the global quest to curb carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, participating in the frameworks and ratification of agreements reached on the worldwide scene on climate change. This invites curiosity about policy initiatives with stakeholders on the home front. The critical role of education in promoting sustainable development, with the potential to foster the necessary behavioural changes to improve people's capacity to address environmental and developmental challenges, warrants this study.

Need for the study: Development communication establishes that proper development can be accessed through stakeholders’ engagement. We assess the Nigerian government's commitment to sustainable development from the lenses of its engagement with stakeholders in education.

Methodology: Using a mixed research method, comprising a quantitative survey among educators and qualitative interviews of school proprietors, principals and management staff of privately owned elementary and high schools, as well as education inspectors, the researchers ascertain the levels of government engagement with players in this sector on the topic of sustainable development in Nigeria.

Findings: Results show relatively minimal engagement with the sector practitioners, implying that lack of policy initiatives and interpretation can negatively impact education actors’ approach to addressing climate change from concerned individuals within the educational sector.

Practical implication: Given the widespread acknowledgement that sustainable development is unattainable without concrete government commitment, the current situation is hampering progress.