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Olafare, KO, 2024. The role of Industry 4.0 technologies in promoting agrifood supply chain sustainability in Africa: using Nigeria as a case study. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on the sustainability of the agrifood supply chain (AFSC) in the present state of the agrifood industry in Nigeria. The challenges facing the Nigerian and African agrifood industry are parallel to those facing the global agrifood industry. The agrifood industry in Africa has faced several challenges over the past few decades, hampering its productivity, hindering its ability to provide food and nutrition for human needs, and limiting its ability to provide sufficient raw materials for manufacturing processes. The agri-food industry faces several significant challenges, including the burgeoning population, change in dietary demands, degradation of natural resources, flood supply chain disruption, food wastage, climate change, and the absence of capital infrastructure, which have hindered the potential of the global agri-food system. In light of these challenges, there is a rising discourse among AFSC stakeholders to improve the conventional AFSC practices in an attempt to manage or mitigate the negative impacts of this pressing challenge, thus providing better ways to increase the efficiency and production of the region's AFSC productivity. The concept and practices of sustainability have emerged among the AFSC stakeholders in Africa and Nigeria over the years, where sustainable agrifood solutions and practices were implemented and adopted across several levels in the agrifood system. The underlying concept for this sustainable approach is; Economic—how can actors increase productivity and profit? Environmental—how can AFSC actors reduce the negative impacts of the food industry on the environment? Social—How can the livelihood of actors be improved?
The use of technology to achieve sustainability was foremost in most developed countries, where data-driven processes were promised to AFSC stakeholders to help them make better decisions. Several academic and business industry leaders have presented paradigm shifts in AFSC sustainability, which is based on the use of Industry 4.0 technologies with huge potential to tackle the challenges of the Agrifood system. Moreover, this reimaging is possible due to the current progress presented by Industry 4.0 technologies such as "Internet-of-Things (IoT), Blockchain, Big Data (BD), Drones, Precision Agriculture, Smart Agriculture, Smart Logistics, Smart Food Manufacturing processes, Cloud Computing (CC), and Cyber-Physical System (CPS)". These arrays of technologies bring distinct capabilities and functions to transition the AFSC supply chain towards sustainability. Technology enables an efficient e-commerce system necessary for a seamless cross-border agrifood trade, offering traceability options for monitoring the origin of products, and supports efforts for a circular economy. This study employed a mixed-method approach to examine the role of Industry 4.0 technologies on the AFSC actors in Nigeria who are already deploying this technology in their operations. The research is focused on examining the Economic, Social and Environmental impacts of industry 4,0 technologies on the agrifood industry in Nigeria. Data from interviews with AFSC actors were analysed using NVivo 12 software through a thematic approach. The findings reveal inspiring insights into the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies in the Nigerian context and provide a novel perspective on agribusiness transformation.
The finds of this study: The findings from this study creates an avenue for contextual study, which draws academic contribution from examining the impact of Industry 4.0 technology in the sustainable AFSC in the context of Nigeria's agrifood industry, enables in-depth analysis of AFSC actors' experience in the use and adoption of Industry 4.0 technology without generalising concepts and ideas captured in other studies conducted in different country or agrifood contexts. The findings gathered in this study have significant policy implications. They can serve as guidelines and frameworks in the development and application of policy within the AFSC industry in Nigeria, fostering the transition into a digital-driven and sustainable agrifood system, resulting in more resilient and competitive agricultural systems. The study's main theoretical contribution is expanding UTAUT and providing practical insights for professionals in the field. Including Technology Adoption Readiness (TAR), Price Value, and enabling conditions in the context of Nigeria AFSC sustainability using Industry 4.0 technology offers actionable strategies for technology adoption and use. The findings in this study have demonstrated that Industry 4.0 technologies are essential to creating new employment prospects in the AFSC industries. Consequent to these technologies, more professions requiring new skill sets are being created, which increases the workforce's need for ongoing learning and adaptation. The ability of Industry 4.0 technology to improve sustainability and operational sufficiency will encourage actors and agribusinesses to adopt and use technology within their operations successfully
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Creators: | Olafare, K.O. |
| Contributors: | Name Role NTU ID ORCID |
| Date: | August 2024 |
| Divisions: | Schools > Nottingham Business School |
| Record created by: | Laura Borcherds |
| Date Added: | 08 Aug 2025 14:21 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Aug 2025 14:21 |
| URI: | https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54151 |
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7473-4643Actions (login required)
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