A global player, the Market Trend International (MTI), has urged indigenous market research agencies in the country to maintain global standards in their work, saying such provides insight into consumer behaviour, market trends, as well as engender competitive landscapes.
Making the call is the Executive Director of MTI, Mr. Victor Ebhomenye, in a statement available to newsmen in Lagos on Monday.
In the statement titled, “Establishment of indigenous market research agencies in Nigeria’’ which he signed and made available to the media, Ebhomenye further explained that the growth in indigenous market research agencies in Nigeria has brought encounters adding, “From the early days of Research International to the rise of local pioneers like RMS and Market Trends International, the industry has experienced significant expansion.
“This expansion has also led to a noticeable decline in quality. Many industry stakeholders now prioritise profit over client success, resulting in a proliferation of poor-quality data.
“Consequently, client behaviour has shifted research; consumers increasingly prioritise cost over quality, leading to compromised methodologies and less reliable insights in Nigerian market research.
“This issue is further exacerbated by the reduced presence of international research firms, which once helped maintain global standards.
Given a brief history of the establishment of indigenous market research agencies in Nigeria, MTI Boss said that the first market research agency in Nigeria was established in the early 1960s, adding that prior to this, Lever Brothers Nigeria Ltd, now known as Unilever Nigeria Ltd, operated an in-house market research department.
According to him, due to dissatisfaction with the data provided by this internal team, the company decided to establish a professional market research agency, adding that with the support of UAC, a manager was sent to the UK for attachment to Research International, one of the leading global market research agencies.
“As a result, UAC sponsored Bamgbose, one of its managers, to undergo training at Research International (RI) in the UK, learning the essentials of conducting market research surveys.
“Upon his return, he founded a research agency called Domestic Research in Ibadan, which became the first market research agency in Nigeria.”
The statement, however, reads in parts, “As the market research industry grew, UAC decided to relocate the agency’s office to Lagos in the first quarter of 1984.
“Following this, RI was approached to send an experienced market research executive to Nigeria to enhance the quality of data collected. Peter Mathias, an experienced market research professional, was appointed to Research Bureau Nigeria, which later became Research Bureau Nigeria Ltd.
“In this phase, the name was changed to Research International (RI), and the office was moved to Old Niger House. However, this agency was not permitted to conduct market research surveys for third parties unrelated to UAC or Lever Brothers.
“After Peter Mathias’s departure from Nigeria, Robert Sutton was again supported by RI UK to take over as Managing Director of Research International.
“As the only agency operating in Nigeria at the time, Research International experienced rapid growth, which led to the recruitment of more expatriates from the UK. David Kreling succeeded Robert Sutton as the Managing Director of Research International and managed the agency for two years. Upon Kreling’s departure, Barrie Parker took over as Managing Director.
“In the early 1970s, as RI was the sole agency conducting market research in Nigeria, a significant gap was created in the industry. Tejumola, a senior executive at RI, resigned and established RMS to compete with RI.
“Following this trend, Jo Ebhomenye also resigned from RI and founded his own agency, Market Trends Nigeria Ltd, now known as Market Trends International Ltd”.
