Sustainable Procurement Practices and Organisational Environmental Performance in Telecommunications Companies in Nigeria: A Study of MTN and Airtel

This study investigates the adoption of sustainable procurement practices and their effect on organisational environmental performance in major telecommunications companies in Nigeria, specifically examining MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria. Telecommunications firms are significant procurers of network infrastructure, energy systems, IT equipment, and facility services, creating substantial procurement-linked environmental footprints. Sustainable procurement, encompassing green supplier selection, energy-efficient equipment specifications, and responsible electronics disposal, has emerged as a key pillar of corporate sustainability strategy. Using a descriptive analytical survey design, structured questionnaires were administered to 55 procurement, sustainability, and supply chain managers across both companies' head offices in Lagos. Sustainable procurement adoption is measured through environmental criteria integration in vendor evaluation, proportion of sustainably certified suppliers, and electronic waste management programme effectiveness. Organisational environmental performance is assessed through carbon footprint reduction attributable to procurement decisions, energy cost per base station, and regulatory environmental compliance score. Regression analysis is employed. The study draws on green procurement and corporate sustainability literature from telecommunications and broader technology sector contexts. Findings are expected to confirm that both companies have made measurable progress on green supplier criteria but face challenges in electronics waste disposal chain transparency. Recommendations address procurement directors, the Nigerian Communications Commission, and global equipment vendors on designing supply chain sustainability accountability frameworks suitable for African telecommunications markets. Keywords: sustainable procurement, environmental performance, telecommunications, MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria.