Public Art as Social Justice Education: Street Murals and Youth Political Consciousness in South-West Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between public art specifically street murals and youth political consciousness within the broader framework of social justice education in South-West Nigeria. The investigation was necessitated by the growing use of visual activism in Nigerian urban centres and the urgent need to understand how such public-facing art forms contributed to informal civic learning among young people. Anchored on critical pedagogy and civic imagination theories, the study explored how murals serve as everyday learning environments that expose youths to social inequalities, political debates, and possibilities for collective action. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining a cross-sectional survey of 1,200 youths across Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo States with in-depth interviews and field observations of 45 mural sites. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression to determine the predictive power of mural exposure on dimensions of political consciousness, critical awareness, socio-political efficacy, and willingness to engage in activism. Qualitative findings revealed that murals addressing police brutality, gender justice, unemployment, and governance acted as “public classrooms,” prompting spontaneous dialogue, shaping youth identity, and inspiring local acts of civic participation. Results showed a significant positive correlation between frequency of interaction with murals and heightened political consciousness (r = .61, p < .01). Regression analyses further demonstrated that thematic relevance and visual intensity significantly predicted socio-political engagement among youths. The study concluded that public art was not merely aesthetic but operated as a strong and informal pedagogical instrument capable of advancing social justice education and fostering democratic inclusion among youth in contexts such as Nigeria.