THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF MARKETABILITY OF MADE IN NIGERIA TEXTILE MATERIAL)

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY   

Made-in-Nigeria goods are those goods that are produced within Nigeria. Nigeria as a third world country needs to produce its own goods so that it will help develop its economy in terms of growth and stability.

The Nigerian government in 1988 took another bold step to encourage favourable attitudes towards made-in-Nigeria goods in a bid to actualize the enterprise promotion decree. The basis of the decree was to reduce foreign dominance on the economy, encourage local retention of profit, and create employment opportunities amidst other objectives. Since independence in 1960, a lot of changes have taken place in the country economically, politically, and socially which as a result, firms, small and large have gone down the drain. The cause of this was mainly due to lack of good management and leadership in the country as well as lack of vision and foresight. The country is plagued with large scale under capacity resources utilization, power supply that cannot be used for any meaningful planning purpose and a whole economy that cannot be forecasted.

Marketing Implication of the above scenario will be: irregular supply of product, supply of lower quality product due to dividing income of consumer, fluctuating prices due to product shortage, low reputation of manufactured goods, low motivation towards advertising, low marketing orientation and a general consumer discontent with income made goods.

However, with the democratization of the system and the call to the citizenry to look inward for a sustainable growth through self-reliance, it is therefore, hoped that Nigerians will develop favourable attitude towards made in Nigeria goods.

As our society undergoes rapid changes and becomes more affluent nearer social force make consumers spend a greater part of their income or salaries in ways remarkably different from what took place in the past. Consumers want the advantage of affluent and the latest services that technology and business can offer.

The force of this study is the Nigeria textile market. This industry was chosen firstly because most textile product have clearly displayed “made in” label, and secondly it is an industry where imported product had long dominated, even causing local ones to carry foreign labels.

1.2       JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

Nigerian economy has been characterized by declining capacity utilization in the real sector, poor performance of major infrastructural facilities; large budget deflects, rising level of unemployment and inflation.

Given the poor state of the economy, it is the desire of all Nigerians to have in place and functioning too, an economic policy which will:

• • Revive and grow Nigeria’s comatose economy

• • Significantly raise the standard of living of the people

• • Put Nigeria back to gain- full work and create new employment opportunities and to ,

• • Reposition the economy to participate beneficially in the global economy

1.3       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Marketability of made in Nigeria textile material or product as a tool for economic growth in Nigeria depends largely on the attractiveness and attitude of Nigerians towards made in Nigeria textile product. This study is conducted to determine those variables that affect the Nigerians textile industry, the made in Nigeria textile itself in terms of quality and to determine the preference and taste and attitude of citizen towards these textile products. In view of this, the following highlighted problems are intended to be solved by this research works;

• • What are the problems inherent in marketing locally made textile products.

• • What is the degree of correlation between product quality and the desire to buy locally manufactured textiles?

• • Is there any prospect of marketing made-in-Nigeria textile?

1.4       RESEARCH QUESTION

Based on the problem enumerated above, and acknowledgement of the existing socio-economic characteristic of the country, this research attempts to address the following research questions: -

• • How do consumers in Nigeria evaluate the various attributes of domestic textile products in relation to similar product of foreign origin? 

• • What is the extent of consumer familiarity with made-in-Nigeria textile brands?

1.5       HYPOTHESIS FORMATION

Hypothesis is a declarative statement subject to inferential testing. It is a proposition or conduction which states what we are looking for or it is a conjectural statement of relationship between variable. Hypothesis will be stated in two ways:

a.         The Alternative Hypothesis (Positive Hypothesis) which will be represented by Hi, and

b.         The Null Hypothesis (Negative Hypothesis) which will be represented by Ho.

Ho:      There is no positive and significant relationship between product quality and the desire to buy made in Nigeria textile.   

Hi:       There is positive and significant relationship between product quality and the desire to buy made in Nigeria textile.

1.6       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to investigate the marketability of made in Nigeria textiles.

1.7       METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

The research will be conducted to examine the attitude of Nigerians towards made in Nigeria textile materials as economic growth indicator in Nigeria. The source used for the study is based on the data collected through the two available sources which are primary and secondary data.

Forty (40) questionnaires would be administered to respondents. The research will be conducted at selected areas in Osun State. The data collection would be: (a) Osun State Polytechnic (b) Selected textile and dressing salon around Osogbo, Ikirun and Iree area. The participant would be (i) undergraduate students (ii) Traders dealing in textile (iii) textile and dressing salon operators / customers (iv) textile manufacturers. There participant were chosen because I felt that they are in the best position to evaluate the product since they use, sell and also promote the product.

Chi-square will be used to test the relevant hypothesis. Chi-square is a non-parameters measure that does not depend on population but deal with frequency count.

Chi-square is defined by the formulae.

X2       =          ∑ (0 – e)2

                                        e 

At 5% level of significance = 0.5

Degree of freedom is give by the formulae = (r - 1) (c – 1)

1.8            LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

In the course of justifying the research work, some constraints were encountered that further limit and slow down the research work. i.e. Time constraints, Transportation, Data collection procedure, scarcity of relevant text books, articles in relation to the study, financial constraints and also, lack of co-operation on the part of the respondents towards the questionnaires. Despite these limitations, the research is still valid and capable of adding to knowledge.

1.9            DEFINITION OF TERMS

Marketing: - According to American Marketing Association (1960) defines marketing as the performance of business activities that direct the flow of gods and services from producers to consumers or users.

Marketing: - This cannot the ability of a product to meet the taste preference of the consumer.

Market Orientation: - According to Mc Namara (1972) defines it as a philosophy of business management, based upon a company wide acceptance of the need for consumer orientation, profit orientation, and recognition of the important role of marketing in communication the needs of the market to all.

Made- in- Nigerian goods: - This are those goods that are produced within Nigeria.

Consumer Ethnocentrism: - This means when consume evaluate others cultures according to preconceptions originating in one’s own culture.