A REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AS A DRIVER OF GREEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NIGERIA

Environmental sustainability has become both a global imperative and an economic opportunity. In developing economies, where poverty alleviation and industrialization are urgent, the concept of green entrepreneurship entrepreneurial activity that intentionally creates economic value while reducing environmental impact offers a pathway that links ecological stewardship withinclusive growth. This paper reviews theory and evidence on how environmental sustainability acts as a driver of green entrepreneurship, synthesizes barriers and enablers in developing-country contexts, and uses Nigeria as an illustrative case. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as the Triple Bottom Line, Resource-Based View, and Sustainable Entrepreneurship theories, and empirical insights from the Global South, the review identifies five principal mechanisms through which sustainability stimulates green entrepreneurship: regulatory and policy signals, market opportunity and demand for green goods and services, access to green finance and incentives, knowledge diffusion and capacity building, and institutional and civil-society pressure. For Nigeria, the review highlights enabling elements such as growing environmental awareness, large unmet market needs in waste, energy, and sustainable agriculture, diaspora entrepreneurship, and emerging policy frameworks alongside persistent constraints including weak regulatory enforcement, infrastructure deficits, limited access to affordable finance, skills gaps, and market fragmentation. The paper concludes with policy recommendations and an agenda for research and practice to strengthen the green entrepreneurship ecosystem in Nigeria and comparable developing economies.