Structural and Technological Drivers of Sustainable Development in Nigeria: Evidence From SDG 7 and SDG 13

ABSTRACT Progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy) and Goal 13 (climate action) in fossil‐fuel‐dependent developing economies is often hindered by structural rigidities, carbon lock‐in, and policy uncertainty. In Nigeria, despite substantial renewable energy potential, empirical understanding of the transition is constrained by studies that rely on linear frameworks, overlook nonlinear feedback loops, and cannot separate directional positive enablers from negative scale drags. To address this gap, this study applies the non‐parametric Pattern Causality framework, anchored in the Technology–Environment–Economy Nexus, to evaluate directional interdependencies among renewable energy adoption, digitalisation, energy use, real income, foreign direct investment, and urbanisation from 2000 to 2024. The empirical findings show that urbanisation and digitalisation are the dominant positive structural and technological enablers of clean energy access and climate action, outperforming conventional economic and financial levers. Conversely, aggregate energy use, real income, and foreign direct investment exert persistent negative directional drags on SDG outcomes, reflecting pre‐turning‐point scale effects and the concentration of foreign capital in carbon‐intensive sectors. Furthermore, state‐dependent “dark” causality is minimal for climate action but present in clean energy access, highlighting the sector's sensitivity to regulatory and macroeconomic volatility. These findings demonstrate that achieving SDGs 7 and 13 requires coordinating urban spatial planning and digital infrastructure as core energy delivery platforms, while deploying green taxonomies and pricing reforms to decouple economic growth from fossil‐fuel dependence.