The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) and the Lagos Business School (LBS) have unveiled a joint consumer insight report, Community, Culture, and Connection: Re-imagining the New Market. The report has fresh data to the fore on how Nigerians engage with brands amid a shifting economic and social landscape.
Speaking at the launch, NIMN Registrar Thelma Okoh described the report as an unvarnished look at the future of commerce in Nigeria, saying trust has become the primary currency of the market and that Nigerian consumers now buy into stories, identities and heritage, not just products.
Top marketing strategist, advertising expert and recognized member of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Emmanuel Adediran, speaking on the report’s insights, said the research was designed to close Nigeria’s long-standing data gap and validate consumer sentiment directly, rather than relying on assumptions.
Among its key findings, the report identifies a shift away from celebrity-driven influencer marketing toward micro- and nano-influencers, and draws a clear distinction between ordinary influencers and genuine community leaders with loyal followings. It urges brands to build relationships with these grassroots figures or invest in their own brand-owned communities.
NIMN President Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi said the report grew out of planning for the institute’s annual conference, born from a desire to extend industry conversation beyond a single event. She said the partnership with LBS was a deliberate “town and gown” collaboration to align academic marketing theory with real market conditions.
The findings were drawn from focus group discussions and interviews with corporate organisations and everyday consumers across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
At a panel session held during the recently concluded NIMN conference, Professor Uchenna Uzo, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at Pan-Atlantic University, said the report’s timing was critical given shifting political conditions, upcoming elections and volatile fuel prices. He revealed a sharp perception gap: only 30 percent of consumers believe marketers are engaging them correctly, compared to 60 percent of marketers who believe they are getting it right. He called for a shift toward customer co-creation, noting that consumers want to feel like they are “part of the board.”
The report is now available to industry stakeholders as a reference tool for navigating Nigeria’s evolving consumer landscape.
