EFFECT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN SOKOTO STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of digital transformation operationalised as business-model innovation and digital infrastructure on the performance of manufacturing firms in Sokoto State, Nigeria. Adopting a survey design, the researchers purposively sampled knowledgeable personnel from ten firms, drawing a Yamane-derived sample of 346 respondents; 450 questionnaires were distributed to secure the minimum required returns. Data from 381 valid responses were analysed with multiple regression. Results show a strong model fit indicating that BMI and DI together explain 61.4 % of the variance in organisational performance. Individually, business-model innovation exerted the larger impact, while digital infrastructure also contributed significantly; multicollinearity diagnostics were acceptable. The findings confirm that firms achieving higher levels of innovative business-model reconfiguration and robust digital infrastructure attain superior productivity, profitability and competitive strength. The study recommends that Sokoto manufacturers should institutionalise continuous business-model innovation through structured ideation, rapid prototyping and incentive schemes, and commit to phased upgrades of broadband, cloud and analytics platforms, coupled with targeted digital-skills training and collaborative financing arrangements. Implementing these measures is expected to amplify organisational agility and sustain long-term performance gains in the region’s industrial sector.