Barriers to Supply Chain Sustainability Innovation Amongst Nigerian Entrepreneurs in the Food and Agriculture Industry

The rationale for this research stems from the fact that there is a need to improve our understanding of how sustainability occurs among entrepreneurs, the approach these firms adopt vis-a-vis supply chain sustainability innovation, barriers faced and strategies to overcome these barriers within the Nigerian context. The study adopts both the quantitative and qualitative approach to data collection involving the use of questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs in the food and agriculture industry. Questionnaire surveys were carried out with 396 entrepreneurs in the food industry and 63 entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector. In addition, 20 semi-structured interviews were carried out with some of the entrepreneurs who took part in the questionnaire survey with a view to elicit further information on some of the main issues relevant to the overarching research aim. The findings show that many of the entrepreneurs were unaware of international sustainability frameworks and many of the practices adopted were often informal and on an ad hoc basis. The finding also shows that the primary barrier affecting supply chain sustainability innovation among Nigerian entrepreneurs are economic and financial barriers, technological, legal regulatory and institutional barriers. The entrepreneurs advocate for sustainable technology development, regulatory and environmental strategies as well as enhanced networking strategies as ways of overcoming some of the barriers identified. There is now a growing recognition of the importance of promoting sustainable innovative practices as part of a firm’s core business model. The study, therefore, makes empirical contributions to the burgeoning literature in this area thus filling gaps in the literature on supply chain sustainability in the SME sector in Africa. From a Nigerian standpoint, it provides a theoretical perspective on which future research and policy initiatives can be developed. The practical implication for Nigeria specifically and Africa more generally is that the study shows countries on the African continent lag behind their Western counterparts vis a vis advancement in sustainability measures. There is a need for better education amongst businesses on the continent in order to bring them in line with current thinking in the field. This will enable entrepreneurs to incorporate innovative strategies in their business practices thus enhancing competitiveness and growth and also allowing them to make substantial contributions to global sustainable drive. There is also a need to ensure these firms are better supported by various governmental and non-governmental institutions such as NGOs, to enable them to flourish.