Market Research Companies in Nigeria

Key figures for researchers

Population

about 237.5 million (2025 estimate, UN World Population Prospects 2024)¹

Last census

140,431,790 people (2006)²

Geopolitical zones

6: North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, South West³

Under 15 / 65 and over

40.5% / 3.1% (2025)⁶

Languages

English (official); more than 500 indigenous languages; Nigerian Pidgin used between groups⁵

Adult literacy rate

70.4% (2024)⁸

Internet subscriptions

154.7 million, almost all mobile (April 2026)⁹

Broadband penetration

55.7% (April 2026)⁹

Mobile subscriptions

88.7 per 100 people (June 2026)¹⁰

GDP per capita

about US$1,220 (2025)¹¹

Research guide

Research landscape

Most market research agencies are based in Lagos, the country’s commercial hub, with Abuja as the second centre for government, development and B2B work. Local independent agencies work alongside offices of international research networks, and many run fieldwork networks across the states.

Languages and fieldwork

English is the official language and works for B2B and many urban interviews, but general public questionnaires are usually translated into Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo, and often Nigerian Pidgin, with interviewers matched to the language of each area. The Constitution provides for the business of the National Assembly to be conducted in English, and in Hausa, Ibo (Igbo) and Yoruba when adequate arrangements have been made; Nigeria has more than 500 indigenous languages, so back-translation and pilot interviews are worth budgeting.

A national sample is usually stratified by the six geopolitical zones (North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, South West), with urban and rural quotas. Expect differences between North and South in language, religion, household structure and access to women respondents. The last census dates from 2006 (140,431,790 people): population weights rely on projections, so ask the agency which frame it uses.

Which methods work

Nigeria is mobile-first: almost all of the 154.7 million internet subscriptions are mobile, and there are 88.7 mobile subscriptions per 100 people. Telephone interviews (CATI) and mobile web surveys work well for urban, younger and educated targets, and for B2B.

For the general population, especially in rural areas, the North and among older or less literate people (adult literacy is 70.4%), face-to-face interviews (CAPI) remain the reference. Some areas have security constraints: agencies adapt sampling and field routes to current conditions, which can change coverage, timelines and costs. Focus groups are usually held in Lagos and Abuja, and in other regional cities as needed.

Timing

The rainy season can slow rural face-to-face fieldwork: it starts earlier and lasts longer in the South (roughly from March–April to October) than in the North (roughly June to September), and onset varies by state from year to year.

Ramadan (around early February to early March in 2027) changes routines, especially in the North; fieldwork also pauses around Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (around May in 2027). Late December, around Christmas and New Year, is a slow period when many people travel to their home states.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA), signed in June 2023, and supervised by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC). Processing needs a lawful basis such as consent or legitimate interest, respondents have rights such as objection, rectification and erasure, and transfers abroad require adequate protection or an approved mechanism.

The NDPC’s General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID), in force since September 2025, details consent, impact assessments (DPIA), data protection officers, registration of controllers “of major importance” and annual compliance audits. Ask your agency how respondents are informed, whether it is registered with the NDPC and how data will be transferred to you.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, zones and states, method, languages and deadline.
• Ask who does the fieldwork: own interviewers or subcontractors, and in which zones.
• Ask how languages are handled: translation, back-translation and interviewers matched to each area.
• Ask about quality control: back-checks, GPS or audio checks for face-to-face interviews, supervision of CATI calls.
• Ask how security conditions could affect coverage and what replacement areas are planned.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.