MATERIALITY OF SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING AND EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE OF LISTED MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS IN NIGERIA

The Materiality of sustainability reporting has emerged as one of the essentials criteria for appraising the efficiency performance of listed multinational corporations in Nigeria. This study sought to examined the materiality of sustainability reporting and efficiency performance of listed multinational corporations in Nigeria with specific objective to determine the effect of carbon emission disclosure, labor practices disclosure and R&D disclosure on the efficiency performance of listed multinational corporations in Nigeria. The study employed both classical and robust regression techniques to address the main objectives. The research utilized secondary data that were gotten from the annual report of listed multinational corporations in Nigeria through the Nigeria Exchange Group (NGX) for a period of ten years from 2015 to 2024. From findings, Carbon emission disclosure [ROI: coef. = -1.705 (0.372); ER: coef. = -15.27 (0.000)] has an insignificant negative effect on return on investment, but a significant negative effect on efficiency ratio among listed multinational corporations in Nigeria during the study period. Labor practices disclosure [ROI: coef. = -3.723 (0.124); ER: coef. = -0.411 (0.934)] has an insignificant negative effect on both return on investment and efficiency ratio of the listed multinational corporations in Nigeria during the study period. Research and development disclosure [ROI: coef. = 3.609 (0.013); ER: coef. = 10.483 (0.000)] has a significant positive effect on both return on investment and efficiency ratio of the listed multinational corporations in Nigeria during the period under study. The study concludes that with sustainability reporting becoming increasingly central to corporate strategy, there is an urgent need to ascertain whether and how these practices contribute to measurable improvements in operational and financial performance. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made to guide corporate managers, policy makers, analysts, investors, and other stakeholders in the Nigerian business environment: Multinational corporations should integrate sustainability reporting as a strategic tool for both enhancing operational efficiency and demonstrating corporate responsibility. Policy makers and regulators should also prioritize frameworks that encourage transparency and meaningful disclosure in sustainability practices.