Paul Ofana Ogwihi, Ekpenyong Bassey Obo, Sunday Isaac Eneh & Victoria Zake Ewa
Abstract
Processing enterprises are crucial for adding value to industrial and agricultural raw materials for both home and foreign application. However, a lot of these businesses still employ manual, paper-based production techniques. This study examined the relationship between digital transformation initiatives, such as digital infrastructure and process automation, and the performance of processing firms in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. The stratified sampling method was used to choose the components. Structured questionnaire was the instrument used for the collection of data. The population of the study was 1,762 employees. The Taro Yamane formula was used to determine the sample size. The sample consisted of 316 employees. Data was analyzed using spearman correlation and multiple regression to test the hypotheses. The study’s findings showed that the elements of digital transformation initiatives have a substantial and positive influence on the performance of processing firms. It was recommended, among others, that Cross River State processing enterprises should automate their milling, packaging, and stocking processes in order to reduce errors and downtime, and boost output.