Does urbanization intensify carbon emissions in Nigeria?

Abstract

This study examines the urbanization and CO2 emissions nexus in Nigeria using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method to analyze the annual time series data spanning from 1974 to 2015. Findings suggest that urbanization, GDP, energy use, and carbon emissions are strongly and positively correlated, while trade and carbon emissions exhibit a weak and negative correlation. The ARDL result shows a negatively significant short-term and long-term connection between urbanization and carbon emission in the Nigerian economy. In the short-term, GDP, trade and energy use positively affect carbon emission while in the long-term, trade and GDP negatively affect carbon emissions with energy use having a positive impact on carbon emissions. The study, therefore, concludes that urbanization does not cause carbon emission to rise in Nigeria, but energy use does. From the findings, it was recommended that there is a need for the use of energy-saving and environmentally friendly technology to reduce the amount of carbon emission in the economy.

Exploring the nexus link of environmental technology innovation, urbanization, financial development, and energy consumption on environmental pollution: Evidence from 27 emerging economies

“…Thus, the outcome reveals that a 1% change in the trajectory of URB will lead to a decline of ENVP by 0.528%. Hence, this study put forward that policymakers should assist in streamlining urban population areas in the selected economies by upgrading renewable energy use to ensure a faster decline of ENVP and support the economies' long-term development [ 90 , 91 ].…”

“…Urbanization denotes the gradual shift of population from rural areas to urban places, the respective decline in the percentage of the populace dwelling in rural areas, and the modalities in which the communities adapt to changes [ [88] , [89] , [90] , [91] ]. Studies have shown that population growth within urban vicinities impacts environmental quality through increased tension on limited resources through energy consumption [ 92 ].…”

“…Thus, studies have demonstrated that streamlined URB could be achieved with ENVTI and renewable energy consumption to attain modern civilization [ 65 , [94] , [95] , [96] ]. Based on the significant impact of streamlined urban development in Africa, equitable distribution, and diversification of resources, coupled with long-term ECG and improvement in ENVTI, it is emphasized that URB will enhance the control of ENVP in Africa [ [88] , [89] , [90] , [91] ]. Thus, when countries' citizens' income expands, and policies for sensitization of environmental quality are improved, research demonstrates that URB leads to an asymmetric influence and may help to control ENVP [ [88] , [89] , [90] , [91] ].…”

“…Based on the significant impact of streamlined urban development in Africa, equitable distribution, and diversification of resources, coupled with long-term ECG and improvement in ENVTI, it is emphasized that URB will enhance the control of ENVP in Africa [ [88] , [89] , [90] , [91] ]. Thus, when countries' citizens' income expands, and policies for sensitization of environmental quality are improved, research demonstrates that URB leads to an asymmetric influence and may help to control ENVP [ [88] , [89] , [90] , [91] ]. This research is theorized on the STIRPAT model and EKC hypothesis to investigate the long-term effect of streamlined URB on ENVP.…”

“…This research is theorized on the STIRPAT model and EKC hypothesis to investigate the long-term effect of streamlined URB on ENVP. Hence, this research emphasized that in most regions in Africa, regulating URB issues with modernized structures will support the reduction of ENVP when citizens are sensitized to the use of energy-efficient technologies with less pollution and distribute resources equitably to the indigenes to desist from the traditional modes of ENC [ [88] , [89] , [90] , [91] ]. Drawing on the diverse results of the studies above, the authors of this present study propose that urbanization is statistically significant and inversely influences environmental pollution control in Africa.…”