Energy Availability and Its Effect on Business Continuity and Environmental Sustainability of Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises in Rivers State
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of energy availability from different sources on business continuity and environmental sustainability of small and medium-scale enterprises in Rivers State. A population of 2,449 SMEs formed the study base, from which 400 respondents were selected using Cochran’s sampling formula. The study employed a survey research design, while data were gathered using a structured self-designed questionnaire on a four-point Likert rating scale. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the research questions, while multiple regression, executed using SPSS (v.26), was used to test the hypotheses. The regression results showed that both fossil fuel generators and solar power have positive, statistically significant effects on business continuity and environmental sustainability, whereas grid power has a positive but statistically insignificant effect on both indicators. Energy cost, a major operational burden, demonstrated a positive, statistically significant relationship with business continuity but not with environmental sustainability. The study concludes that the adoption of solar power can materially shape SME performance in Rivers State, particularly in relation to business continuity and environmental sustainability. It therefore recommends creating incentives to enhance solar power adoption among Small and medium-scale enterprises, as well as prioritizing grid expansion and modernization to reduce recurrent power failures and improve energy stability, thereby enhancing operational efficiency for SMEs in Rivers State.
Keywords
Business ContinuityEnvironmental SustainabilityEnergy stabilityEnergy cost
References
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