Government Roles and Environmental Sustainability of Selected SMEs in Ogun State, Nigeria

The sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa contribute significantly to the economic wellness of the nations. Despite this advantage, lack of government intervention in the development of business infrastructures may hinder the desired objetives. A number of studies have investigated the roles of government on business sustainability in varried sectors, less attention has been given to the impact of government roles on environmental sustainability, particularly in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ogun State, Nigeria. Thus, this study examined the effect of government roles on environmental sustainability of selected SMEs in Ogun state, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population comprised 1557 owners/managers of selected SMEs in Ogun state, Nigeria. A sample size of 403 was adopted using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size determination method, with a well-structured adapted questionnaire, having a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients ranging from 0.719 to 0.823. Four hundred and three questionnaires were administered on the survey participants, with response rate of 93.6.9%. Collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple regression analysis was used for this study. Findings revealed that government roles had positive significant effect on environmental sustainability in selected SMEs in Ogun State, Nigeria (Adj.R2 = 0.310; F(4, 381) = 43.662; p < 0.05). The study concluded that government roles enhanced environmental sustainability in selected SMEs in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study recommended that to ensure environmental sustainability of SMEs, the government decision makers should place precedence on investment of infrastructure to create a competitive and conducive environment that encourages innovation, promote accessible financial support mechanisms, and support innovation and technology adoption among SMEs.