An Appraisal of Renewable Energy for Enhancement of Environmental Sustainability in Nigerian Public Procurement.

Over the years, the world is faced with environmental degradation, pollution from dangerous gas like carbon dioxide (CO2), bio-diversity lost, depletion of natural resources posed serious threat to climate change. These concerns impacted on our procurement processes to take into consideration how to limit or prevent these risk that impacted directly or indirectly on purchasing decisions. Another major concern, beyond CO2 emissions, is that the fossil fuels on which the world still depends on for getting over 80% of its energy, needs are finite and will be critically depleted within 50 years at current use levels. It was noted that pathways to net-zero emissions is through the shift towards renewable energy. Many countries, including Nigeria has made efforts to diversify its energy sources by investing in renewable energy, like solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, nuclear, hydro, bio-fuel and electric vehicles. This study appraised renewable energy towards enhancement of environmental sustainability in Nigerian public procurement. A quantitative survey was used and purposive sampling was adopted in getting the respondents. Data were collected with the aid of questionnaire. A sample size of 150 was drawn from population of 239 public procurement officers. 96 questionnaires were retrieved from respondents, analysis conducted highlights a well-educated workforce with substantial awareness of renewable energy but limited practical application was noted, particularly outside works. Five key barriers were assessed through ranking. The study emphasizes the need for enhanced regulatory frameworks, targeted training for procurement officials, and increased investment in renewable energy. It also revealed that lowest respondents are from the top management function, which may hinder policy decisions in public procurement activities.