ESG Governance, Institutional Trust, and Sustainable Agribusiness Development in Nigeria and Brazil: A Comparative Institutional Analysis

Authors: Ozike, Kingsley Chibuzo; Ebunu Ikugbe Eldred; Ifemeje Sobechukwu Micah; Sopuru Mmesoma Grace; Chukwuyem Catherine

Affiliation: Department of Business Administration and Management, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria

Corresponding Author: [email protected]

June 16, 2026

SIAR-Global Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting

Zenodo DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20723207

Crossref DOI: 10.66694/siar.gjefa20262004

ESG Governance, Institutional Trust, and Sustainable Agribusiness Development in Nigeria and Brazil: A Comparative Institutional Analysis
Research Article Management

Abstract

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) governance has become a major framework for promoting accountability, sustainability, and long-term value creation in agribusiness systems. Yet its effectiveness in emerging economies remains uneven because ESG practices are shaped by the institutional environments in which they are implemented. This study examines how institutional trust shapes the relationship between ESG governance and sustainable agribusiness development in Nigeria and Brazil. Using a qualitative comparative institutional design, the paper synthesizes secondary evidence from scholarly literature, policy documents, and institutional reports. It argues that ESG governance is unlikely to generate meaningful sustainability outcomes where institutions lack transparency, credibility, and stakeholder confidence. Nigeria's main ESG challenge is implementation credibility, reflected in fragmented coordination, weak enforcement, and uneven confidence in public systems. Brazil's challenge is sustainability legitimacy, as stronger institutional capacity coexists with concerns over deforestation, land use, environmental accountability, and producer inclusion. The study contributes to ESG and Global South sustainability scholarship by positioning institutional trust as both an enabling mechanism and a relational governance resource. It concludes that sustainable agribusiness transformation depends not only on formal ESG adoption, but on trusted institutions capable of strengthening legitimacy, mobilizing cooperation, and supporting long-term sustainability transitions. 

Keywords

ESG governance; institutional trust; sustainable agribusiness development; Nigeria; Brazil; comparative institutional analysis; Global South.

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How to Cite

Ozike, Kingsley Chibuzo; Ebunu Ikugbe Eldred; Ifemeje Sobechukwu Micah; Sopuru Mmesoma Grace; Chukwuyem Catherine (2026). ESG Governance, Institutional Trust, and Sustainable Agribusiness Development in Nigeria and Brazil: A Comparative Institutional Analysis. SIAR-Global Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting, Vol. 2, No. 2. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20723207

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Article Information

  • Type: Research Article
  • Journal: SIAR-Global Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting
  • Subject Area: Management
  • Published: June 16, 2026
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue: 2
  • Word Count: Not specified
  • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20723207
  • Processing Fee: $50.00 USD

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