Sustainability accounting and reporting in Nigeria: A systematic review of literature

What the paper says

The issue of sustainability accounting and reporting has been gaining increased attention in Nigeria in recent years, prompted by growing apprehensions regarding the impact of business activities on the environment and society. This study aims to comprehensively explore the thematic evolution in academic literature and the sustainability practices of Nigerian firms in the context of sustainability accounting and reporting. Through an extensive review of the existing literature on the subject, the objective is to delineate the trajectory of scientific inquiry, critically assess the developments, establish a coherent focus and outline a paradigm for future research. To identify the selected twenty articles, 34 articles from different databases, were meticulously selected and reviewed, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommended steps for systematic review. The results of this systematic review reveal a notable absence of studies in Nigeria that address the governance perspective of sustainability accounting and reporting. Interestingly, the majority of the scrutinized articles primarily focused on the environmental management dimension of sustainability. Consequently, our findings underscore the imperative for future studies in Nigeria to incorporate the governance perspective into sustainability reporting. This integration is vital to fortify firms’ economic, social and governance practices and to contribute substantively to achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs).