Energy Transition Pressures and Supply Chain Sustainability: Evidence from Corporate Reports in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector

Abstract

Introduction: The global energy sector is undergoing a social and technical transformation which forces oil and gas companies to change their methods for Sustainable Supply Chain Management. The research investigates how international and Nigerian oil and gas companies handle energy transition challenges while maintaining their sustainability reporting requirements. The research study demonstrates how people talk about transitions but their real-world applications of sustainable supply chain management show different results. The research demonstrates how supply chain operations respond to unconventional energy sources together with renewable energy sources during periods of low-carbon transition.

Methods: The research analyzes corporate disclosures from sixteen selected companies through a comparative content analysis method. The researchers created four company groups which included Global Majors, Indigenous Nigerian Majors, National Champions and Downstream Leaders. The research investigates energy transition discourse through Legitimacy Theory and the Sociotechnical Transition Framework by assessing its extent and nature and the energy types that receive long-term resilience priorities and the resulting effects on supply and production and logistics management.

Findings: The research reveals that organizations face two primary challenges which include their operational performance problems and their implementation of multiple decarbonization strategies. Global Majors (e.g., Shell, Eni, TotalEnergies) are pursuing a radical "regime shift" toward carbon-neutral niches such as hydrogen and offshore wind, supported by sophisticated digital ESG auditing of "Scope 3" emissions. The Indigenous Nigerian companies (e.g., Seplat, Aradel, NNPC Ltd) which follow a "regime optimization" strategy use the "Gas-to-Power" system to meet international environmental standards while ensuring their domestic energy supply and "Africapitalism" goals. The industry considers Production Management activities which include ending routine flaring and fluid recycling to be essential for all operations while Logistics Management remains the most under-reported domain across the industry.

Originality: The study establishes that Nigerian emerging economies achieve resilience through their existing fossil fuel infrastructure "greening" process instead of implementing immediate renewable resource diversification. The research findings about policy development help establish regional ESG standards which create better supply chain circularity between the Global South countries.