Promoting Professional Ethics in Green Entrepreneurship for Economic Opportunities and Sustainable Business Development in Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijatss.v4i2.181Keywords:
Green Entrepreneurship, Professional Ethics, Sustainable Business Development, Ethics Education, Economic Opportunities, NigeriaAbstract
Developing economies increasingly face the interconnected challenges of youth unemployment and environmental degradation arising from unsustainable production and consumption practices. Green entrepreneurship has emerged as a strategic pathway for addressing these concerns by promoting environmentally responsible enterprise development while generating economic opportunities. However, the sustainability and credibility of green enterprises depend largely on adherence to strong professional ethical standards. This study provides a critical review of existing literature on the role of professional ethics in promoting green entrepreneurship, expanding economic opportunities, and supporting sustainable business development in Nigeria. Drawing on Stakeholder Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and Shared Value Theory, the review synthesizes global, African, and Nigerian scholarly evidence examining how ethical competence influences entrepreneurial behavior, stakeholder trust, and environmental accountability. Evidence across reviewed studies indicates that ethics-oriented entrepreneurship education strengthens responsible decision-making, reduces greenwashing practices, enhances enterprise legitimacy, and improves long-term business sustainability outcomes. The review further highlights the growing role of green enterprises in renewable energy deployment, waste recycling, sustainable agriculture, and eco-innovation sectors as drivers of employment generation and environmental restoration. Despite increasing policy attention toward entrepreneurship development in Nigeria, the literature reveals limited integration of structured ethics education within entrepreneurship training programs. The study concludes that embedding professional ethics into entrepreneurship education, institutional support systems, and business governance frameworks is essential for advancing inclusive economic growth and sustainable development goals
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