Prospects and Challenges of Green Practices Adoption by Manufacturing Companies in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The introduction of green practices in the manufacturing sector has offered significant benefits to manufacturers, individuals, livelihoods and environmental resources. Notwithstanding the benefits, some structural and non-structural challenges undermined the utilization of green innovation, processes, and practices, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. The existence of these challenges has continued to obstruct the process of attaining an improved social, environmental and economic condition in many industrial communities in Nigeria. In a bid to address this problem, the study investigates the prospects and challenges of green practices adoption towards a sustainable environment in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study examines the perception of the employees of selected manufacturing firms, environmental enforcement agencies as well as residents of industrial communities in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopts a cross-sectional, descriptive survey research design and area-based technique. A multi-subject household survey and multi-stage sampling technique were used to select a total of 321 respondents for the study and data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistical method while the qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that green practices adoption brought about social change in consumption patterns, lifestyle, efficient management of waste, environmental risk reduction. In spite of these benefits, the findings revealed that lack of technological know-how, poor maintenance culture, cost of repair and replacement of abatement plant, managerial issues, and corruption were the key obstacles to green practices implementation and sustainable environment in Nigeria. The study concluded that a stakeholder mapping approach will help address the challenges of green practices adoption in Nigeria.