Hybrid governance in Nigeria and Pakistan has not only persisted as a legacy of colonial state formation but has also evolved into a complex system of shared authority between state institutions and traditional, religious, and community actors. This evolution reflects a qualitative shift toward negotiated governance, where Emirs, Obas, vigilante groups and jirgas play central roles in justice and security delivery amid weak state capacity. However, these systems also generate new risks, fragmented recognition, weak accountability, and exclusion of marginalized groups, exacerbating parallel sovereignties and state fragility. To respond effectively to this governance reality, policymakers must pursue a threefold strategy: institutionalization to harmonize hybrid institutions within formal systems; inclusion to expand participation for women and youth; and accountability to align local legitimacy with rights protection. Only by reforming rather than erasing hybridity can plural societies transform it into a foundation for stability, legitimacy, and inclusive statehood.