THE NEXUS BETWEEN COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA
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Abstract
This study examined the relationship between coastal infrastructure development and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria from 1990 to 2024 using the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) approach. Data were obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and the World Bank’s World Development Indicators. Coastal infrastructure was proxied by port throughput, while sustainable economic growth was measured through indicators of economic performance, employment, and trade facilitation. The findings indicated that coastal infrastructure and trade openness positively influenced economic growth, whereas human capital had a negative effect. Energy use showed a positive but statistically insignificant impact, while carbon emissions significantly constrained growth. Importantly, the effect of coastal infrastructure depended on complementary factors, including institutional quality, effective human capital utilisation, and robust trade facilitation. The negative coefficient of human capital reflects structural inefficiencies such as underemployment, skill mismatches, and limited industrial absorption. Trade openness emerged as a key growth driver, highlighting the importance of export promotion, trade liberalisation, and global integration. Conversely, the adverse effect of carbon emissions underscores the need for environmental sustainability measures. The study concluded that achieving inclusive and resilient growth requires coordinated policies integrating coastal infrastructure, human capital, trade, energy efficiency, and environmental protection. Accordingly, the study recommended among others: strategic investments in ports and logistics, alignment of education and skills development with labour market needs, promotion of trade liberalisation and foreign investment, adoption of cleaner energy technologies, and institutional reforms to optimise human capital utilisation. Collectively, these measures can transform infrastructure and trade investments into sustainable, long-term economic development outcomes for Nigeria.
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