SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING AND CORPORATE REPUTATION OF LISTED DEPOSIT MONEY BANKS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Growing stakeholder demand for transparency has pushed Nigerian banks to adopt sustainability reporting, yet questions remain about its real impact on how these banks are perceived. Inconsistent disclosure quality, limited ESG details, and doubts about credibility create uncertainty about whether sustainability reporting genuinely enhances corporate reputation. This study examined the influence of sustainability reporting on corporate reputation of quoted banks in Nigeria. The study used existing data to carry out the research. The period of study is 11 years from 2013 - 2023. The population of the study comprises of 21 DMBs listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) out of which 10 Deposit money banks were selected for this study using purposive sampling technique. The study used statistical tools of regression. Sustainability reporting was proxy with environmental, social and governance disclosures while corporate reputation was proxy with market capitalization. The study found that environmental reporting has significant and favourable effects on corporate reputation at the 5% level (t= 2.66; p<0.05). The outcomes implies that environmental disclosures will lead to higher corporate reputation. social reporting and governance reporting do not have any noteworthy impact on corporate reputation ((t= -0.09, 0.11 p>0.05 respectively). The study concludes that stakeholders prioritize environmental performance over social and governance aspects when evaluating a company’s reputation. The study recommends that banks strengthen the quality and transparency of their environmental disclosures, as this is the only sustainability dimension that significantly enhances corporate reputation. By focusing on clear, credible, and stakeholder-relevant environmental information, banks can better meet stakeholder expectations and improve their reputational standing.