Network Governance, Relational Capital, and Value Creation in Nigerian Agricultural Supply Chain Cooperatives: A Mixed-Methods Longitudinal Study

This study investigates the mechanisms through which network governance structures and relational capital interact to drive value creation in Nigerian agricultural supply chain cooperatives, contributing original theory at the intersection of network governance theory, social capital theory, and agricultural supply chain management. Nigerian agricultural cooperatives face persistent value capture failures despite substantial government and development partner investments, suggesting that governance and relational dynamics, rather than resource inputs alone, are the critical value creation determinants. Employing a longitudinal mixed-methods design, this research combines a ten-year panel dataset from 45 registered cooperatives across Kaduna (North West), Benue (North Central), and Ebonyi (South East) with interpretive interview analysis of 78 cooperative leaders, members, and value chain partners. Structural equation modelling is applied to the quantitative panel data while a grounded theory approach guides the qualitative analysis, with integration achieved through a complementary design strategy. The study develops an original theoretical model of relational governance value creation, distinguishing between bonding relational capital that supports intra-cooperative value capture and bridging relational capital that enables inter-cooperative and market-facing value co-creation. Network governance dimensions of rule-making inclusivity, information sharing protocols, and conflict adjudication quality are identified as the structural preconditions for both capital types. These contributions extend network governance theory into the African agricultural cooperative context and generate transferable propositions for cooperative development policy. Keywords: network governance, relational capital, value creation, agricultural cooperatives, Nigeria.