Green Supply Chain Management Practices and Environmental Performance: Empirical Evidence from Cement and Steel Manufacturers in Kogi and Edo States

This study empirically examines the relationship between green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and environmental performance in cement and steel manufacturing firms in Kogi and Edo States, South South and North Central Nigeria. Heavy industries in these states are significant contributors to industrial emissions, solid waste generation, and energy-intensive logistics chains. GSCM practices, encompassing green procurement, eco-design, reverse logistics, and environmental collaboration with suppliers, have been theorised as pathways to reducing industrial environmental impact while maintaining competitiveness. Using a quantitative survey design, structured questionnaires were administered to 140 supply chain and environment, health and safety managers in 22 industrial firms across both states. GSCM practices are operationalised using established scales adapted for Nigerian industrial contexts. Environmental performance is measured through energy consumption per unit output, waste generation rate, emissions index score, and regulatory compliance frequency. Structural equation modelling is used to test the hypothesised relationships. The study draws on the natural resource-based view and institutional theory as theoretical lenses. Findings are expected to reveal that green procurement and supplier environmental collaboration are the strongest predictors of environmental performance improvement, while reverse logistics remains underdeveloped among sampled firms. The study fills a research gap on heavy industry GSCM in Nigeria's middle-belt and southern industrial zones. Recommendations address firm sustainability officers, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, and industrial associations on embedding GSCM into operational governance frameworks. Keywords: green supply chain management, environmental performance, cement manufacturing, steel industry, Kogi and Edo States.