Research Article | Open Access | Download PDF
Volume 13 | Issue 5 | Year 2026 | Article Id. IJEMS-V13I5P101 | DOI : https://doi.org/10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V13I5P101Renewable Investments: A Catalyst For Sustainable Development In Nigeria
Foluso Ololade OLUWOLE, Toyin Waliu OTAPO, Paul Obogo USHIE, Wale Henry AGBAJE, James Adeniyi DEMEHIN
| Received | Revised | Accepted | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Mar 2026 | 29 Apr 2026 | 15 May 2026 | 28 May 2026 |
Citation :
Foluso Ololade OLUWOLE, Toyin Waliu OTAPO, Paul Obogo USHIE, Wale Henry AGBAJE, James Adeniyi DEMEHIN, "Renewable Investments: A Catalyst For Sustainable Development In Nigeria," International Journal of Economics and Management Studies, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 1-10, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V13I5P101
Abstract
This study examined whether renewable energy investment, renewable agriculture and forestry investment improve environmental sustainability in Nigeria. Using annual data for 2000–2023, carbon emissions were modelled as a function of renewable energy investment, renewable agriculture and forestry investment, and gross domestic product. After descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit-root testing and Johansen cointegration testing, long-run coefficients are estimated with Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares, while pairwise Granger-causality tests assessed short-run predictive direction. The results showed that renewable energy investment had a negative and statistically significant relationship with carbon emissions (β = −2.958, p = 0.0011), renewable agriculture and forestry investment had a negative but statistically insignificant relationship (β = −8.58×10⁻⁶, p = 0.2068), and GDP had a positive and significant influence on emissions (β = 7.50×10⁻¹¹, p = 0.0149). No pairwise Granger-causal relationship with carbon emissions was detected at the 5% level. The study contributed investment-based evidence that distinguishes energy investment from agriculture and forestry investment, rather than treating renewable activity as a single consumption indicator. The findings support sustained renewable-energy finance, stronger measurement and targeting of climate-smart agricultural investment, cleaner industrial production, and transition policies that distribute benefits across underserved communities.
Keywords
Carbon Emissions, Fmols, Nigeria, Renewable Agriculture Investment, Renewable Energy Investment, Sustainable Development.
References
- International Renewable Energy Agency, Renewable Energy Roadmap: Nigeria, Abu Dhabi: IRENA, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2023/Jan/IRENA_REMap_Nigeria_2023.pdf
- World Bank Group, Nigeria to Expand Access to Clean Energy for 17.5 Million People, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/12/15/nigeria-to-expand-access-to-clean-energy-for-17-5-million-people
- Abdulkarim Yusuf, “Dynamic Effects of Energy Consumption, Economic Growth, International Trade and Urbanization on Environmental Degradation in Nigeria,” Energy Strategy Reviews, vol. 50, pp. 1-13, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Stephen Kelechi Dimnwobi et al., “Financial Development and Renewable Energy Consumption in Nigeria,” Renewable Energy, vol. 192, pp. 668-677, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Zikun Yang et al., “Can Renewable Energy Investment Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions? Evidence from Scale and Structure,” Energy Economics, vol. 112, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Zhen Fang, “Assessing the Impact of Renewable Energy Investment, Green Technology Innovation and Industrialization on Sustainable Development in China,” Renewable Energy, vol. 205, pp. 772-782, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Prosper E. Edoja, Goodness C. Aye, and Rangan Gupta, “Effects of Energy Consumption, Agricultural Trade, and Productivity on Carbon Emissions in Nigeria: A Quantile Regression Approach,” Commodities, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 494-511, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - World Commission on Environment and Development, Our Common Future, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.
[Publisher Link] - Yuyu Xiong, and Li Dai, “Does Green Finance Investment Impact Sustainable Development? Role of Technology Innovation and Renewable Energy,” Renewable Energy, vol. 214, pp. 342-349, 2023.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Adama T. Dansofo et al., “Impact of Non-Renewable Energy Consumption and Economic Growth on Carbon Emission in Nigeria,” ABUAD Journal of Social and Management Sciences, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 94-119, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Joseph Olufemi Ogunjobi, Rotimi Ayoade Ogunjumo, and Stephen Adesina Ibitowa, “Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Energy Consumption, Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Nigeria: A Multivariate Causal Analysis,” International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 513-518, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Nigeria Energy Transition Office, Finance and Investment, Nigeria Energy Transition Plan Portal, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.energytransition.gov.ng/finance-and-investment/
- Peter C.B. Phillips, and Bruce E. Hansen, “Statistical Inference in Instrumental Variables Regression with I(1) Processes,” Review of Economic Studies, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 99-125, 1990.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Søren Johansen, “Estimation and Hypothesis Testing of Cointegration Vectors in Gaussian Vector Autoregressive Models,” Econometrica, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 1551-1580, 1991.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - UkoimaKelvin Nkalo, “Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Sector: Analysis of the Present Status, Policies and Prospects,” Solar Compass, vol. 14, pp. 1-15, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Faisal Al Mubarak, Reza Rezaee, and David A. Wood, “Economic, Societal, and Environmental Impacts of Available Energy Sources: A Review,” Eng, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 1232-1265, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link] - Lee Shee Weng, “Water Resilience in Global Supply Chains: Innovations, Challenges, and Strategic Solutions for Sustainable Resource Management,” SSRN, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]