Digital Platforms and the Bridging of Climate Governance Gaps: A Study of Adaptive Management Frameworks

Abstract

This study explores the transformative potential of digital platforms in bridging critical governance gaps within Nigeria’s climate adaptation frameworks, focusing specifically on adaptive management approaches. Climate governance in Nigeria is currently hindered by fragmented policy implementation, inadequate data infrastructure, limited stakeholder engagement, and weak vertical and horizontal integration across administrative levels. Employing a qualitative methodology comprising expert interviews, case studies, and systematic policy reviews, this research examines how Geographic Information Systems (GIS), real-time data dashboards, mobile applications, and artificial intelligence can address these structural barriers. Findings reveal that digital tools significantly enhance the precision of climate risk assessments and foster inclusive governance by integrating indigenous knowledge into formal adaptation strategies. Digital platforms facilitate improved communication, data-sharing, and collaborative decision-making among diverse stakeholders, thereby strengthening both vertical and horizontal coordination. However, the study identifies that technological interventions alone are insufficient; sustainable impact requires deliberate institutional reforms to embed digital solutions within existing governance structures and build absorptive capacity. Key recommendations include establishing centralized national climate data repositories, creating mandated multi-stakeholder digital forums, leveraging AI for predictive modelling, and securing statutory budget lines for digital infrastructure maintenance. The research concludes that when coupled with appropriate institutional redesign, digital platforms hold immense potential to enhance national resilience, ensuring climate policies remain contextually relevant and dynamically responsive to emerging environmental challenges. This study contributes to academic discourse on digital adaptive governance while providing actionable, evidence-based insights for policymakers, practitioners, and development partners seeking to strengthen climate adaptation outcomes in Nigeria and similar developing contexts through socio-technical alignment.