Do ESG Factors Influence Risk-Adjusted Return on Equity? Evidence from the Nigeria Banking Sector

This study investigated the impact of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors on the performance of Nigerian deposit money banks, using risk-adjusted return on equity (RAROE) as the primary measure. While previous research has focused on developed economies using traditional profitability metrics like return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), the incorporate risk-adjusted measures to account for financial volatility using Nigerian deposit money banks data from 2012 to 2022. The study employed panel data regression models with E-views 12 and Python library to analyse the data. The findings reveal that environmental resource efficiency positively impacts bank performance, while emissions and waste reduction have a negative effect, indicating a trade-off between sustainability efforts and financial returns. Environmental innovation has an insignificant relationship, suggesting the need for cautious adoption of green initiatives. Workforce development and community engagement enhance performance, while human rights policies show no significant impact. In governance, stakeholder rights and management oversight influence profitability, but bank size negatively affects performance, challenging the economies of scale assumption in Nigeria’s banking sector. The recommend that Nigerian banks integrate ESG principles strategically, optimize environmental sustainability efforts and strengthen governance structures to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while improving financial stability.