THEORY TO PRACTICE: IMPLEMENTING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES FOR ORGANISATIONAL SUCCESS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Abstract

Sustainability has transcended being just a buzzword and has proven to be an integral part of corporate strategy. Modern businesses strive to balance the three main prongs of long-term commercial prosperity, which are; economic profitability, social responsibility and environmental sustainability. This corporate trilogy aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a to-do list of the global business community. This paper fills a gap in the current literature by examining the comparatively understudied businesses in Nigerian enterprises in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa. Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper explores major concerns by analysing the sustainable integration practices of three companies chosen as primary case studies, which include Unilever, Dangote Group and MTN Nigeria. Themes include environmental, social and economic sustainability, sustainability leadership, objectives and vision (or strategy), stakeholder involvement and sustainability reporting. Different barriers to integration, short-term thinking, ‘not our core business’ justification, and the irrelevance of expertise have been discussed and analysed.