A groundbreaking peer-reviewed study has revealed how innovative knowledge management practices are transforming Nigeria’s business landscape, providing compelling evidence that strategic knowledge systems are key drivers of sustainable growth, particularly for small and family-owned enterprises. Published in the Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental (Vol. 18, No. 5, 2024), the research offers one of the most comprehensive examinations to date of how knowledge creation, capture, sharing, transfer, training, and application influence business resilience, profitability, and expansion in emerging economies.
The article, titled “The Linkage Between Knowledge Management Practices and Sustainable Business Growth: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria,” was conducted by a distinguished, multidisciplinary team of scholars including Dr. Samuel Chukwudi Ilodigwe, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Ibadan. The scholars bring years of expertise in Marketing, Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Studiesto enhance the value of the article for socio-economic benefits.
Drawing on data from 503 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Lagos State Nigeria’s economic powerhouse, the researchers employed advanced statistical modeling to uncover the critical role of knowledge management in accelerating business sustainability. With 469 valid responses (a 93.2% response rate), the analysis revealed that knowledge management practices explained 25.2% of the variance in sustainable business growth (R² = 0.252, F(6, 461) = 27.167; p < 0.05), demonstrating a robust and statistically significant relationship.
Among the six dimensions examined, knowledge sharing emerged as the strongest predictor of growth, followed by knowledge capture and training. Conversely, knowledge creation and transfer showed negative coefficients, highlighting the urgent need for stronger innovation strategies and intergenerational succession mechanisms in family-owned firms.
The study’s findings carry important policy and practical implications. For policymakers, the research calls for frameworks that promote digitalization, formal knowledge-sharing systems, and leadership transition planning to safeguard institutional memory. For entrepreneurs, it provides a data-driven argument for integrating knowledge management practices into daily operations to enhance competitiveness, workforce stability, and market positioning.
Importantly, this study extends the Knowledge-Based Theory of the Firm to the context of developing economies, addressing a critical gap in global scholarship. While prior research has largely focused on large corporations in advanced markets, this study demonstrates how knowledge systems can foster resilience, innovation, and economic diversification in resource-constrained settings like Nigeria.
The research contends that institutionalizing knowledge management practices is no longer optional but essential for building enterprises capable of withstanding economic shocks, fostering innovation, and achieving long-term sustainability. As Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy and expand employment opportunities, the study offers an evidence-based roadmap for strengthening SMEs, the backbone of the nation’s industrial sector.
With its rigorous methodology, international publication, and actionable insights, this research represents a scholarly breakthrough with real-world economic significance, highlighting the critical link between knowledge, innovation, and sustainable growth in emerging markets. Strategic knowledge management is a key driver of sustainable growth for Nigerian SMEs, making it essential to institutionalize these practices to foster innovation, safeguard institutional memory, and ensure long-term economic sustainability.