GREEN GOVERNANCE ATTRIBUTES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs) DISCLOSURES: EVIDENCE FROM HIGH-IMPACT INDUSTRIES IN NIGERIA

Following the introduction of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 and their implementation in Nigeria in 2016, little is known about how corporate organizations in Nigeria contribute to achieving the SDGs. The study, based on stakeholder, legitimacy, and agency theories, examined the effect of green board governance features on SDG disclosures. The population comprised 61 environmentally sensitive firms listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group from 2016 to 2023, and a sample of 44 firms was selected via purposive sampling. Data was gathered from the firms' annual reports and analyzed using regression analysis. The findings showed that the board’s sustainability committee, foreign directors, and women directors have a positive and significant effect on SDG disclosures, while risk management committees do not have a significant influence. The study recommended that, among other measures, the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) should make it a policy requirement, through its corporate governance regulations, for listed firms to have a mandatory board sustainability committee. The FRCN should also enhance corporate governance codes to emphasize board diversity, especially foreign and women directors.