Social Work and the Governance of Juvenile Justice in Nigeria: A Critical Systems Analysis

The governance of juvenile justice in Nigeria is characterised by systemic dysfunction, professional fragmentation, and absence of rights-based approaches that align with international child justice standards, creating a context of sustained harm for young people in contact with the justice system. This doctoral study undertakes a critical systems analysis of juvenile justice governance and social work's role within it, drawing on empirical data from Lagos, Kano, and Enugu States. A critical realist paradigm employing critical systems thinking methodology underpins the study, combining institutional ethnography in juvenile remand facilities, surveys of 200 juvenile justice actors, and qualitative interviews with 50 judges, social workers, and former juvenile detainees. Systems mapping, multilevel regression, and critical discourse analysis are applied. The study's original contribution is the construction of a Juvenile Justice Systems Deficiency Model, which identifies seven systemic mechanisms reproducing poor justice outcomes for young people, including professional role ambiguity in social work, inadequate diversion infrastructure, and judicial over-reliance on custodial measures. The study theorises social work's potential as a systemic change agent within juvenile justice and identifies structural conditions that enable or constrain this agency. Recommendations include developing a dedicated juvenile justice social work practice model and establishing social work court teams in all states with juvenile courts. Keywords: juvenile justice governance, social work, critical systems analysis, Nigeria, child rights