RENEWABLE ENERGY ADOPTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN NIGERIA: AN EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

Abstract

This study investigates the short-run and long-run impacts of renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy equity, and economic growth on environmental pollution (measured by CO₂ emissions) in Nigeria using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) framework. The analysis utilizes annual time series data to examine the dynamic relationships among the variables, with particular emphasis on policy-relevant insights for sustainable development. The results reveal that both renewable energy and energy efficiency significantly reduce environmental pollution in the short and long run, underscoring their crucial role in mitigating climate change. Economic growth also contributes to emission reduction, providing empirical support for the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis in the Nigerian context. Conversely, energy equity is positively associated with emissions, indicating that wider energy access without a transition to cleaner energy sources may exacerbate environmental degradation. The study recommends scaling up investment in renewable energy, enforcing energy efficiency standards, ensuring equitable access to clean energy, and adopting green growth policies. These findings offer valuable guidance for policymakers in designing integrated energy and environmental strategies aligned with Nigeria’s sustainable development goals.