GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE OF LAGOS STATE'S MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

In a volatile business sphere, the role of sustainable business practices, such as green supply chain management, cannot be overemphasized. The aim of this study is to empirically explore the effect of green supply chain management strategies on the performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in Lagos State. The specific objectives were to ascertain the effect of green packaging and green distribution on the performance of SMEs. The study adopted a survey research design. The study population comprised business owners and managers of the 3,235,987 MSMEs in Lagos State, Nigeria, as reported by SMEDAN (2021). The Taro Yamane formula of (1967) was adopted to obtain a manageable sample size of 440, and the reliability of the instrument was assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. Findings revealed that green packaging has a significant effect on the performance of MSMEs in Lagos State, Nigeria, whereas green distribution has no significant effect. The study recommended that awareness and training programs should be organized to educate MSME owners on the cost-saving and brand-enhancing potential of eco-friendly packaging, and industry associations can collaborate to bulk purchase green packaging materials, reducing costs for smaller firms. Government and development agencies should support MSMEs in adopting green logistics technologies through subsidies, tax incentives, and capacity-building programs, and partnerships with third-party green logistics service providers should be encouraged for MSMEs lacking the resources to establish their own distribution systems.