Assessing the phenomenon of market evangelism in Nigeria and its impact on traders’ ethics

Abstract

Market evangelism has emerged as a transformative force in Nigeria, integrating faith and commerce to reshape traders’ behaviour and ethics. It has significantly transformed Nigeria’s business landscape, shaping a brighter future for traders, communities and the nation, while demonstrating its potential as a catalyst for positive change. However, this approach overlooks the necessity for sustainable behavioural change. This study examines the impact of market evangelism on pervasive unethical business practices that hinder Nigeria’s economic development, utilising a historical approach and both primary and secondary sources. The findings indicate that market evangelism plays a key role in fostering integrity and ethics among traders, with far-reaching implications for economic and social growth. Therefore, it recommends intensified market evangelism efforts by churches and organisations, faith-work integration by business leaders and support from policymakers for ethical business initiatives.
Contribution: Market evangelism encourages integrity and ethics among traders, which has far-reaching implications for economic and social growth. However, its crucial contextual elements, such as social networks, economic conditions and cultural norms, determine how market evangelism influences traders’ ethics and behaviour.