CARBON FOOTPRINT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between carbon footprint and sustainable development in Nigeria from 1980 to 2024, a period characterized by rapid economic growth alongside increasing environmental pressures. The motivation was to determine whether Nigeria’s development path aligned with the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis or risked unsustainable ecological degradation, with important implications for policy formulation and climate commitments. The study employed the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model for data analysis. The findings revealed that environmental quality positively and significantly enhanced GDP, while carbon dioxide emissions also supported short-run economic growth, reflecting a fossil-fuel-driven development pattern consistent with the EKC hypothesis. However, the ecological footprint significantly constrained economic performance, indicating increasing pressure from resource depletion. The study concluded that although Nigeria’s growth remained emissions-dependent, environmental degradation constituted a major constraint to sustainable development. It therefore recommended stronger environmental protection policies, a transition to renewable energy, and sustainable resource management to ensure long-term development in Nigeria.