PRODUCT QUALITY AND CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF MADE IN NIGERIA PRODUCTS

Product quality is essential for survival of national industries in the global market. Globalization has made different countries products available in almost every market in the world and now Consumers have wide variety of choices to select. The demand for a product depends on the quality that manufacturers are provide to their customers. The closure of many textile companies in Nigeria is obviously traceable to low patronage of locally made textile fabrics. This study is an attempt to assess relationship between product quality and consumer perception of made in Nigeria textile products. Primary data was collected for the study and Ordinary least square (OLS) simple regression method of analysis was employed to examine the relationship between product performance, product attractiveness, product durability, and product finishing quality of made in Nigeria textile products and consumers’ perception. The results from the analysis showed that consumers have negative perception on product performance of made in Nigeria textile products. It was further observed that most of the goods produced locally do not last due to poor quality of materials used in its production. Most consumers do not patronize made in Nigeria textile products due to its unattractive finishing quality. Recommendation is made for textile operators in Nigeria to use higher quality of modern technology and higher quality of raw materials in their production. Training to improve skill of workers is considered necessary. It is also recommended for the operators to be innovative drive and improve packaging of textile materials. Adequate power supply is recommended to assist the textile sector.