Strategic Communication Management and Stakeholder Engagement in Selected Nigerian State Universities

This study analytically examines strategic communication management and its relationship to stakeholder engagement quality in selected Nigerian state universities. University stakeholder management, encompassing communication with students, faculty, government sponsors, alumni, and industry partners, requires deliberate strategic communication planning that Nigerian state universities have inconsistently operationalised. The research employs a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative survey data from 300 administrative staff, faculty members, and student representatives in eight state universities across the South West (Lagos, Ekiti) and North Central (Kwara, Benue) zones with qualitative interviews from eight university communication directors. The Strategic Communication Management Framework and the Stakeholder Theory provide the theoretical anchors, with literature from 2020 to 2024 on communication management in Nigerian higher education informing the analysis. Dimensions examined include communication planning quality, channel selection appropriateness, message clarity, feedback mechanisms, and stakeholder satisfaction ratings. The study identifies a significant gap between formal communication policies and actual stakeholder engagement quality. Recommendations target university governing councils and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities. Keywords: strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, state universities, Nigeria, university administration