SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT STRATEGIES IN PENSION FUND MANAGEMENT: A COMPARATIVE REVIEW OF ESG PRINCIPLES ADOPTION IN THE U.S. AND NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v5i9.547Abstract
The integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into pension fund management has garnered significant attention in the global financial sector. This study offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of ESG adoption in pension fund management between the U.S. and Nigeria. Through an in-depth exploration, the research unveils the current state, challenges, and implications of ESG integration in these distinct financial landscapes. The U.S., with its advanced financial markets, has demonstrated a systematic and mature approach to ESG adoption, driven by technological advancements, robust regulatory frameworks, and a shift towards sustainable investment. In contrast, Nigeria, an emerging market, is in the early stages of ESG integration, grappling with challenges such as limited data availability, regulatory intricacies, and the pressing need for ESG education. A pivotal finding of this research is the positive correlation between ESG integration and enhanced financial performance. Pension funds that prioritize ESG principles have showcased resilience in volatile markets, often outpacing their non-ESG counterparts. This underscores ESG's dual role as both a moral and financial imperative. The study further delves into the future outlook of ESG adoption in both nations. While the U.S. is poised for deeper ESG integration, leveraging technological innovations and refined regulations, Nigeria stands at a crossroads, with its trajectory dependent on addressing current challenges and fostering a culture of sustainable investment. In conclusion, the research emphasizes that ESG integration in pension fund management is a profound shift in the financial paradigm, promising a secure, sustainable, and ethically grounded financial future for beneficiaries. The comparative journey of the U.S. and Nigeria offers invaluable insights, setting a benchmark for pension funds globally as they navigate the complexities of sustainable investment in an ever-evolving financial landscape.
Keywords: ESG Integration, Pension Fund Management, Sustainable Investment, Comparative Analysis.
Published
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2023 Uneku Ikwue, Awele Vivian Ekwezia, Bisola Beatrice Oguejiofor, Mercy Odochi Agho, Chibuike Daraojimba

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Fair East Publishing has chosen to apply for the Creative Common Attribution Noncommercial 4.0 Licence (CC BY) license on our published work. Authors who wish to publish their manuscript in our journal agree on the following terms:1. Authors retain the copyright and grant us (Fair East Publishing and its subsidiary journals) the right for first publication with the work licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) License which permits others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work’s authorship and initial publication in this journal. Under this license, author retains the ownership of the copyright of their content, but anyone is allowed to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, and/or copy the contents as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the publishers or authors.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal’s published version of the work (for example, publishing it as a book or submitting it to an institutional repository), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in Fair East Publishing owned journals.
3. We encourage our authors/contributors to post their work online (such as posting it on their website or some institutional repositories) prior to and during the submission process since it produces scholarly exchange and greater and earlier citation of published work.