Supply Chain Coordination Mechanisms, Conflict Resolution, and Alliance Performance in Nigerian Cross-Border Trade Corridors: A Game-Theoretic and Empirical Analysis

This dissertation conducts a combined game-theoretic and empirical analysis of supply chain coordination mechanisms, conflict resolution, and alliance performance in Nigerian cross-border trade corridors, with primary focus on the Lagos-Abidjan, Lagos-Niamey, and Maiduguri-Ndjamena corridors. Cross-border supply chain alliances in West Africa involve multiple sovereign regulatory jurisdictions, heterogeneous logistics actors, asymmetric bargaining power, and recurrent coordination failures that undermine corridor efficiency and intra-regional trade growth. Existing supply chain coordination literature provides limited analytical tools for multi-jurisdiction, multi-actor corridor settings characterised by simultaneous cooperation and competition incentives. Drawing on game theory, supply chain alliance theory, and ECOWAS trade protocol frameworks, the dissertation develops an original Multi-Player Corridor Coordination Game Model that characterises the payoff structures, equilibrium conditions, and coordination failure thresholds for key corridor actor groups. Empirically, the game-theoretic predictions are tested using data from 220 corridor logistics operators, border management officials, and freight forwarders surveyed across entry and exit points on the three corridors, supplemented by 30 expert interviews. Agent-based simulation and structural equation modelling are applied to validate the theoretical model. Original contributions include the Multi-Player Corridor Coordination Game Model, the Corridor Alliance Performance Index, an original conflict resolution effectiveness scale for multi-jurisdiction trade corridors, and novel empirical evidence on coordination failure mechanisms in West African cross-border logistics. Recommendations address ECOWAS, the National Boundary Commission, and corridor management bodies. Keywords: supply chain coordination, cross-border trade, alliance performance, game theory, West Africa.