Green Price and Purchase Intention of University Students in Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

In today's volatile marketplace, there is a disconnect between the awareness of environmental issues and actual consumer behavior, particularly among young people like university students. Despite growing concerns about the environment, many continue to engage in unsustainable consumption practices. This is especially pronounced in Plateau State, Nigeria, where environmental challenges are significant. This study aims to understand why there's such a mismatch between green price and how students actually make purchasing decisions. It emphasizes the urgency of addressing this issue to promote more sustainable consumption habits among young people. Ultimately, the research seeks to investigate the effect of green price on purchase intention of university students in Plateau State, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design. The population size was 25,000 students from the two approved universities by NUC in Plateau State, Nigeria. The study utilized the Krejcie and Morgan table to determine the sample size of 417 students as respondents. Data was collected through a structured and validated questionnaire. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients of constructs ranged from 0.791 to 0.981 The response rate was 93.33%. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that green price has a significant effect on purchase intention (R = 0.413, R2 = 0.168; t =8.949, β =0.450>0.05). The study concluded that green price has a significant effect on purchase intention of university students in Plateau State, Nigeria. It is therefore recommended that businesses should consider implementing competitive pricing strategies for their eco-friendly products. Offering discounts, promotions, or incentives for purchasing green products are encouraged. This could help stimulate purchase intentions and drive sales.