Investigating Barriers to Supply Chain Visibility and Implications for Transparency in Nigeria

In an era where supply chain resilience has become essential, achieving visibility remains challenging for enterprises in developing economies like Nigeria. This study investigates the primary barriers to supply chain visibility (SCV) in Nigeria and their implications for transparency. The research design employed draws on survey data from 204 supply chain professionals across diverse industries in Nigeria. The analysis was structured using the Context, People, Process, and Technology (CPPT) framework. The findings reveal that the most significant barriers are not necessarily technological in nature but are rooted in contextual and institutional conditions. Poor transport infrastructure, regulatory and customs delays, and unreliable power supply emerged as the top three obstacles. There is a perceived negative relationship between these barriers and firms’ ability to achieve transparency, underscoring how operational opacity undermines stakeholder trust. The study also highlights the possible mediating role context plays, that is, for example, technological adoption enhances visibility only when supported by reliable infrastructure and efficient processes. This research empirically validates and extends the CPPT framework by demonstrating that, context and process form the foundation on which people and technology can operate effectively. Practically, it offers policymakers insights into the critical role of infrastructural and institutional reforms in enabling visible and transparent supply chains.