DESIGN ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND RESPONSE TO LOCALLY MADE TEXTILE MATERIALS IN NIGERIA’S MAJOR BUSINESS DISTRICTS
DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE PROJECT MATERIAL
ABSTRACT
This study is a design analysis of customer perception and response rate to locally created textile materials in significant regions in Nigeria. The study’s overall population consists of 200 Apapa, Lagos, residents. For data gathering purposes, the researcher utilized questionnaires. This study utilized a descriptive survey research approach. A total of 133 respondents comprised of civil servants, businesspeople, businesswomen, and students were employed for the study. The acquired data were shown in tables and evaluated using simple percentages and frequencies.
DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE PROJECT MATERIAL
FIRST CHAPTER
INTRODUCTION
The study’s background
The preference of Nigerians for foreign-made goods is disconcerting and troubling, especially when its impact on domestic industries is examined. Some Nigerians believe that locally manufactured items are inferior to imported and foreign-made goods in terms of quality and performance, to the extent that local producers have resorted to claiming a foreign origin for their products in order to remain competitive. As our society undergoes significant transformations and grows more affluent, emergent social factors compel consumers to spend a larger portion of their income in ways that are strikingly dissimilar from the past. Consumers desire the luxurious and cutting-edge services that business and technology can provide (Achumba, 1996).
Textile refers to the cloth-making process. A fibre is a flexible hair-like structure of length that serves as the building block for textiles, whereas a fabric is a textile’s final result (Margil 1988). Clothing and home furnishings are the most typical uses of textile materials. In addition to these purposes, textiles are vital to industry, agriculture, transportation, space exploration, health services, and other fields (Macfoy 1992). After food and shelter, textiles in the form of clothes are one of mankind’s three fundamental requirements. Individuals determine their attitudes as expressions of their emotions, thoughts, and actions. Family and peer groups are common sources of attitudes (Marshall, 2000). The author added that societal and educational experiences become a part of a person’s attitudes as they mature. In addition, it was observed that views toward clothes tend to prioritize comfort, practicality, conformity, economy, fashion, self-expression, and prestige. The concept of attitude has been separated into three components, according to Mashall, Jacltson, Stanley, Mary, and Touchie (2000). They are psychological, cognitive, and behavioral. The affective component refers to the emotional responses a person has toward an object or entity. A wide range of feelings or emotions can be evoked by the choice of fabric. The cognitive component of attitude focuses on beliefs held regarding cloth. A person in any culture believes that textile fabric is essential but must be accepted due to societal norms. Someone person may believe that textile fabric is the key to social prestige and that by purchasing an amazing designer clothing, they will get social recognition and position. The behavioral aspect of an individual’s attitude can be deduced from their actions. A teen may not attend a party due to her lack of an appropriate clothing. Attitudes are communicated through the sorts of textile textiles worn and the manner in which they are worn. The selection of textile fabrics influences one’s confidence. This is the reason why people dress neatly when attending interviews or other important events (Marshall 2000). The distinction between the affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of attitude should be emphasized since, according to Deaux and Wrightman (1988), these three components of one person’s attitude do not always correspond with those of another person’s attitude.
Foreign textiles (Swiss-made, Chinese-made, Indian-made, Korean-made, and Dutch-made) dominate the Nigerian textile market. Imported textiles are of premium grade and are priced accordingly. The bulk of middle- and upper-class folks wear apparel made from imported materials. Low-income Nigerians are the only ones who can afford to buy Nigerian textiles because imported textiles are prohibitively expensive. Recently, the Nigerian government outlawed the importation of all printed materials to preserve its own faltering textile industry. The number of local textile factories in Nigeria has decreased to forty, which is a fourth of the number in the mid-1980s. The government stated that it made the decision to defend the market from dumping, which occurs when items are exported and sold for less than their usual worth. Nigeria’s continued existence is at stake. The then-minister of information, Jerry Gana, announced that government officials will now wear Nigerian-made textiles (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business).
THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
The Nigerians’ apparent preference for foreign-made items has been a significant obstacle to the nation’s efforts to grow its industrial sector. The most apparent embodiment of this issue is the seemingly intractable problem of smuggling, despite successive attempts by Nigerian governments to restrict the indiscriminate entry of consumer goods. The restriction on some imports and the concerted promotional calls to Nigerians to purchase Nigerian-produced items on radios and televisions are among the key efforts to combat this discrimination against locally made goods. Despite these factors, Despite these and other efforts, the issue has remained essentially unresolved. The result has been a downturn in a number of regional industries, with the textile industry being the most negatively affected. In a span of seven years, this industry lost over 58 percent of its workers, from 137,000 in 1997 to 57,000 in 2002. Between 2003 and 2004, the figure has decreased further. The authoritarian Abacha military dictatorship’s 1997 complete and unthinking adoption of World Trade Organization (WTO) standards exacerbates this issue. Even during General ABUBAKAR Abdulsalam’s rule, the situation remained unchanged. (Vanguard, 08/04/2006). 14 The dilemma of the Nigerian textile sector is exacerbated by the low quality of locally created goods and the ineffectiveness of appeals. Some locally produced goods are of lesser quality in comparison to their imported counterparts. No amount of patriotic slogans regarding Nigerian-made products has been able to alter this feature among Nigerian consumers. It has persisted to the extent that many retailers in Nigeria utilize foreign labels or tags as a marketing tactic, particularly to explain high product costs.
THE STUDY’S PURPOSE
The study has the following objectives:
Determine the reasons why Nigerian consumers choose foreign-produced textiles over those made domestically.
To identify the difficulties consumers experience while deciding between imported and domestic textiles.
Determine if consumers have an unfavorable perception of locally manufactured textiles
RESAERCH HYPOTHESES
The researcher developed the following research hypotheses in order to complete the study successfully:
Consumers face no difficulties when deciding between textiles created abroad and textiles made domestically.
H1: consumers are able to choose between imported and domestic textiles without difficulty.
H02: consumers have a negative view of locally produced textiles
customer perceptions of locally produced textiles are favorable,
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
Students, the commerce ministry, and the general public will find this study to be of great importance. The study will shed light on the design analysis of consumer perception and response rate to locally produced textile materials in Nigeria’s most important business center. Additionally, the study will act as a resource.
THE STUDY’S SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
The scope of this study encompasses a design analysis of consumer perception and response rate to locally produced textile materials in Nigeria’s most important business center. The researcher faces a limitation that restricts the scope of the investigation;
a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material accessible to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the scope of the investigation.
b) TIME: Due to the researcher’s need to integrate the study with other academic activities and examinations, the allotted time period does not allow for a broader scope.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
A CONSUMER is an individual who purchases products and services for their own use.
Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and comprehend the supplied information, or the surrounding environment.
Textiles are flexible materials made from a network of natural or synthetic fibers. Producing yarn involves spinning raw fibers of wool, flax, cotton, hemp, or other materials into long strands. Textiles are made via weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting or tatting, felting, or braiding.
1.8 Organizing the Research
To facilitate comprehension, this study is divided into five chapters as follows:
The first chapter is devoted to the introduction, which includes the (overview of the study), historical context, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitations of the study, definition of terms, and historical context of the study. The second chapter focuses on the theoretical framework upon which the study is founded, as well as a survey of the relevant literature. The third chapter discusses the research design and technique utilized for this study. The fourth chapter focuses on the collecting and analysis of data, as well as the presentation of findings. The summary, conclusion, and suggestions of the study are presented in the fifth chapter.
DESIGN ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND RESPONSE TO LOCALLY MADE TEXTILE MATERIALS IN NIGERIA’S MAJOR BUSINESS DISTRICTS
DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE PROJECT MATERIAL
Need help with a related project topic or New topic? Send Us Your Topic