NJOMACS

This study investigates how strategic communication is applied in framing integrity and promoting anti-corruption governance through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Safe Schools Programme in Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria. Adopting a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, the study combined surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, and media content analysis to capture both quantitative patterns and qualitative insights. Findings show that awareness of anti-corruption messaging was relatively high (87%), but engagement was uneven, with school-based clubs and religious leaders driving stronger participation than digital platforms. Trust levels were highest for teachers and religious figures, while government officials and politicians ranked lowest due to perceptions of bias and hypocrisy. Media analysis confirmed that consequence-based and morally framed messages (e.g., “corruption steals your child’s future”) were more resonant than legalistic or politically branded ones. Barriers identified include poor rural media access, digital divides, and the politicisation of campaigns. Anchored on Framing Theory and Participatory Development Theory, the study concludes that anti-corruption communication must be localised, depoliticised, and participatory to be effective. It recommends empowering teachers and religious leaders as key communicators, redesigning calls to action, investing in community media infrastructure, and institutionalising media literacy in schools.