The dynamic relationship between population growth, non-renewable energy use, and economic growth in Nigeria

The study explores the links between population growth, non-renewable energy, and economic growth in Nigeria from 1993 to 2023. Variables including population growth, mortality rates, fossil fuel consumption, coal rents, and CO2 emissions were included after applying the mixed integration orders of variables obtained from unit root tests by employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique. The results showed that population and fossil fuel consumption have considerable negative long-run effects on economic productivity, as predicted by the Malthusian theory. On the other hand, the variables that have a positive coefficient estimate include coal rents and CO2 emissions. These outcomes expose the need to move to green energy, effective population control, and tough environmental policies. Logically the study achieved the purpose of highlighting the complementarities between sustainable energy policies, economic reform, and environmental conservation. Nigeria can achieve sustainable economic growth and development since they are key factors that cause environmental degradation in the wake of the country’s development path.