Nigeria

Social Protection Services and Socioeconomic Development in Nigeria: A Systematic Review (Published)

The paper examined the effects of social protection services provided and their impact on the socioeconomic Development of the Citizens of Nigeria using a systematic review method. It uses thematic analysis to subject the information obtained from various secondary sources from which the findings are provided and inferences are drawn. The findings revealed that, social protection services in Nigeria are empowered by certain legal framework supported by the Sections 16 and 17 of Chapter 2 of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution hence, the Nigerian government continually indulged in the provision of several social protection services towards enhancing the socioeconomic status of the citizens of the nation. However, despite these, not much effect is felt on the socioeconomic development of the citizens because of the prevailing increasing rate of poverty, unemployment and inequality in the nation. These inefficiencies are traced to several challenges such as inadequate funding, corruption/lack of transparency, over-politicisation of social protection programme, lack or inadequate data, the lack of synergy between the three tiers of government, and several others. The study concludes that the social protection services provided in Nigeria has failed to pose positive impetus on the socioeconomic development of the citizens. It further recommends that government should scale up coverage of social protection benefits because certain fragmented target population such as, a greater percentage of the poor, informal workers, displaced persons, persons with disabilities, and others are excluded from these services. Also, this could include the introduction of a universal child social protection benefit for children between age 0-5 and also social pension for elderly citizens of 70+ as foundation programs. 

 

Keywords: Nigeria, Social protection programmes, Social protection services, Socioeconomic development

Digital Market Analysis and Business Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South-East, Nigeria (Published)

This study examined the relationship between digital market analysis and business performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South- East, Nigeria. The rapid advancement in information and communication technology has transformed business operations globally, compelling SMEs to adopt digital tools for market intelligence, customer engagement, and competitive positioning. Despite the increasing relevance of digital market analysis, many SMEs in South-East, Nigeria still struggle with poor market information systems, limited digital capabilities and inadequate utilization of data-driven strategies. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of online consumer analysis, digital competitor analysis, social media analytics and electronic market forecasting on SME performance. The population of the study comprised of 21320 SMEs in the studied states. The sample size of 392 was drawn from the population of the study using Taro Yamani sample size determination method. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Data were collected from SME owners, managers and their employees through structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used in analyzing the data. Findings revealed that digital market analysis significantly improves SMEs performance, customer satisfaction, sales growth, market expansion, and business sustainability of SMEs. The study concluded that SMEs that effectively utilize digital market analysis tools achieve superior business performance and competitive advantage. The study recommended that SME operators should invest in digital analytics tools, employee training, and customer data management systems to improve decision-making and sustainability.

Keywords: Business Performance, Consumer Behavior, Digital market analysis, Nigeria, SMEs, South-East, digital competitor analysis, electronic market forecasting, online consumer analysis, social media analytics

Determinants of Imports and Exports in Nigeria: Using Seemingly Unrelated Regression (Published)

The study investigated the determinants of imports and exports in Nigeria. Data for the study was drawn from 1981 to 2023 and employed the Seemingly Unrelated Regression, in order to correct the problem of correlation between the error terms in the imports and exports equations. The finding showed that economic growth, population, oil revenue and trade openness exerted statistical impact on the imports. Similarly, the finding of the study showed that inflation rate, interest rate, trade openness, economic growth, population, oil revenue, and foreign exchange reserve have significant impact on the exports. Moreover, the finding showed that economic growth, population and oil revenue exerted different impact on exports and imports during the period under study. Lastly, the findings showed that sudden shock in the imports spill over to the exports in the period under study. The study therefore recommended that there is need to design effective policy that help in mitigating the spill- overs of effect from imports side to exports side.

Keywords: Exports, Imports, Nigeria, Seemingly Unrelated Regression

Economic Consequences of Capital Flight in Nigeria: Evidence from an Economic Linkages Framework (Published)

Capital flight remains a pervasive constraint on economic development in Nigeria, yet the dominant literature has concentrated on its determinants and magnitude rather than its internal structural consequences. This paper examines the developmental consequences of capital flight through an Economic Linkages Framework, an original conceptual architecture that synthesises Hirschman’s (1958) backward and forward linkage theory, Keynesian multiplier analysis, and endogenous growth theory to explain how capital flight disrupts the processes through which domestic investment generates compounding economic value.The framework distinguishes two structural pathways. When capital is retained domestically, it initiates multiplier cascades through business expansion, supply chain deepening, employment generation, and fiscal strengthening, constituting positive economic linkages. When capital exits the economy, these pathways are severed, producing weakened aggregate demand, reduced productivity spillovers, labour market deterioration, and tax base erosion, constituting negative economic linkages and structural fragmentation. To operationalise these arguments, the paper introduces the Domestic Capital Circulation Curve (DCCC), a non-linear growth model grounded in Barro and Sala-i-Martin’s (1995) endogenous growth framework and Ramsey-Cass-Koopmans capital accumulation theory. A quadratic empirical specification is estimated using Nigerian time-series data (1991–2017) via OLS with heteroscedasticity-consistent standard errors. The model is explicitly framed as an empirical illustration of the theoretical framework rather than a fully identified causal test.The results suggest that labour market conditions may be an important transmission channel: a one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a 2.48 percentage point reduction in GDP growth (p < 0.001), validating the labour market linkage mechanism. Capital flight coefficients are not individually significant but exhibit sign patterns consistent with the non-linear damage hypothesis. The model explains 57.4% of variance in GDP growth (R² = 0.574). The paper contributes to development economics by reframing capital flight as a problem of linkage disruption rather than simple financial outflow, providing a theoretically grounded and policy-relevant framework for Nigeria and comparable resource-dependent economies.

Keywords: Capital Flight, Domestic Investment, Endogenous Growth, Hirschman linkages, Nigeria, development economics, economic linkages, non-linear modelling

Administrative Reach and State Capacity: Interoperability Failures in Nigeria’s Digital Identification Infrastructure (Published)

Nigeria maintains multiple parallel identification systems, including the National Identity Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), voter registration, and telecommunications SIM registration, each operating without shared infrastructure. Drawing on qualitative comparative institutional analysis of policy documents, official agency materials, and published scholarship, this paper examines how this fragmented architecture affects administrative reach and state capacity. The analysis finds that parallel registries produce systematic verification inconsistencies, raise transaction costs for citizens and government, constrain financial inclusion, and generate enforcement gaps that weaken service delivery and regulatory effectiveness. The paper argues that the central problem is not the absence of digital identification but the lack of interoperability between systems. By reframing digital identity as public administrative infrastructure, the paper contributes to debates on governance and service delivery in developing states and proposes an evidence based institutional pathway for harmonisation centred on the NIN.

Keywords: Financial Inclusion, Nigeria, administrative reach, digital identification, interoperability, state capacity

Exploring How Innovative Capacity Moderates the Relationship Between Circular Economy Practices and Financial Performance of Listed Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria (Published)

This study investigates circular economy practices (CEP) and financial performance (FP) and the moderating role of innovative capacity in strengthening this link in Nigeria. The study employed a survey research design from a population of 42 listed consumer and industrial goods manufacturing companies on the Nigerian Exchange Group as of December 31, 2025. The unit of analysis for the study was 1250 knowledgeable and competent staff members within the production, marketing, and accounting departments of the 25 sampled manufacturing companies, and a sample size of 303 was derived using Taro Yamene formula. Primary and secondary data were used. The primary data was collected from a structured questionnaire after reliability and validity tests. The responses obtained from the administered questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation matrix and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed a significantly positive relationship between resource efficiency, product life cycle, waste management and circular material use on the financial performance of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Additionally, innovative capacity positively and significantly moderates the link between CEP and FP. This suggests that innovation acts as a strategic enabler, enhancing the effectiveness and profitability of circular practices. The study contributes to the growing literature on sustainable business strategies by highlighting the synergistic role of innovation in maximising the economic benefits of circularity. Implications for managers and policymakers, limitations, and directions for future research were also discussed.

Keywords: Financial Performance, Innovative Capacity, Manufacturing Firms, Nigeria, circular economy

Effects of International Remittances on Poverty Level, Inequality and Household Income in Nigeria (Published)

This study examines the dynamic relationships between macroeconomic factors and household economic well-being in Nigeria, focusing on poverty persistence, income inequality, and household savings. Utilizing ARDL models, the analysis reveals that poverty in Nigeria is highly persistent, with past poverty levels strongly influencing current outcomes. The findings indicate that while foreign direct investment (FDI) has a delayed impact on reducing poverty, it tends to exacerbate income inequality by disproportionately benefiting skilled workers. In contrast, remittances significantly contribute to poverty reduction, improve income distribution, and bolster household savings, although their potential remains underutilized in the Nigerian context. These insights suggest the need for policy measures that enhance the productive use of remittances, promote financial inclusion, and strengthen social protection programs to foster inclusive economic growth.

Keywords: Inequality, Nigeria, Poverty Level, household income, international remittances

Trade Facilitation and Unemployment in Nigeria (Published)

This study examined the impact of trade facilitation on unemployment in Nigeria from 1985 to 2022. Trade facilitation was measured using trade openness, foreign direct investment (FDI), real exchange rate, and official development assistance, while unemployment was measured by the unemployment rate. An ex-post facto research design was used, relying on annual time series data from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, trend analysis, ADF unit root test, bounds cointegration test, and ARDLFindings showed a long-run relationship among the variables. Trade openness and FDI had a significant negative effect on unemployment in both the short and long run. Real exchange rate had a positive but non-significant effect, while official development assistance had a negative and significant effect in the short run and a negative, non-significant effect in the long run.The study concluded that trade facilitation helps reduce unemployment in Nigeria. It recommended that the government promote trade openness in labour-intensive sectors and support SMEs in accessing global markets to boost job creation.

 

Keywords: Exchange Rate, Investment, Labour, Nigeria, Time Series, Unemployment

Predictors of Electronic Wastes Disposal Behaviour Among Young Adults in South-South, Nigeria (Published)

This study empirically investigates the predictors of electronic waste disposal behavior among young adults in Uyo, Nigeria. Employing a quantitative survey design, data were collected from a population of young adults who have been active users of electronic/electrical gadgets for the past five years. Given the infinite nature of this population, a non-probability sampling method, specifically quota sampling, was adopted. The sample size was determined using the formula for sample size estimation. The research instrument, a questionnaire, underwent validation procedures, including face validity, content validity, and construct validity. Reliability testing was conducted using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, with multiple regressions employed to test the hypotheses. Additionally, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to confirm the results of the multiple regressions and assess the model’s fitness for the data. The findings of this study indicate several significant determinants of electronic waste disposal behaviour among young adults in Uyo, Nigeria. Notably, attitude emerges as a pivotal driver of electronic waste disposal behavior, aligning with prior research conducted across diverse geographic and cultural contexts. This highlights the universal importance of cultivating a positive attitude towards responsible e-waste disposal, irrespective of regional disparities. Conversely, the study reveals that subjective norms do not exhibit a positive and significant association with electronic waste disposal behavior. Furthermore, perceived behavioral control is found to have a significant impact on electronic waste disposal behavior. The influence of environmental knowledge, however, is less pronounced than previously suggested. The research also emphasizes the influential role of individual responsibility in shaping electronic waste disposal behavior. The multifaceted nature of electronic waste disposal behavior is underscored, necessitating a context-specific approach to interventions and policies. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the promotion of attitudinal change, context-specific interventions, enhancement of perceived behavioral control, reassessment of environmental knowledge strategies, empowerment of individual responsibility, cross-cultural comparative studies, and the development and implementation of tailored policies to address the unique challenges of this demographic. This research offers valuable contributions to the scholarly discourse on e-waste management and informs strategies for sustainable and environmentally conscious communities.

Keywords: Nigeria, attitude, disposal behaviour, electronic/electrical wastes, environmental knowledge, individual responsibility, perceived behavioural control, subjective norm, young adults

Blue Economy, Sustainable Development and Economic Growth in Nigeria (Published)

Economic growth experienced in Nigeria over the past decade has been primarily impacted by dwindling foreign exchange earnings. These earnings are dictated by an increasingly monolithic economy with an almost singular dependence on crude export proceeds. While various options for diversifying the economy, enhancing productivity as well as creating multiple sub-national and national income streams, abound, not much has been done towards harnessing and optimising these alternative options, hence a national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that is impeded by regular fluctuations that have come to define the global oil market. Blue Economy (BE) as defined by the World Bank underscores, ‘the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem’. In its hypothesis, this paper posits that BE presents a viable and alternative path to Nigeria’s economic diversification and growth in a manner that is not damaging to the environment and ecosystem, but boosts empowerment, job and wealth creation as key indices of sustainable development and economic growthIn its literature review, the paper connects and underlines typical literature backed cases of BE facilitating sustainable development and economic growth. Its analysis derived from global perspectives, insights and experiences, seeks to situate and apply BE prospects within the Nigerian context. These feeds the eventual proffered recommendations. In its recommendations, the paper puts forward steps that underscore a path to harnessing the Nigeria’s BE in such a way as to ensure sustainable development, and that seeks to satisfy current socio-economic diversification and growth needs, boosting wealth creation and empowerment while ensuring safe climate and environmentally friendly practices.

Keywords: Nigeria, Sustainable Development, blue economy, economic growth