Nigeria is not just “big”; it can be compared to many countries in one, with over 200 million people, 200+ ethnic groups, dozens of languages, and wildly different tastes depending on where you are. What works in Lagos might flop in Kano, the same way a campaign that’s a hit in Port Harcourt could mean nothing in Jos. Without research and fieldwork, you’re guessing in a market where consumer behaviour is shaped by culture, income gaps, religion, tech access, and even the weather.
In a diverse market such as Nigeria, while technical tools such as analytics, sampling design, and digital surveys offer valuable structure, they cannot substitute for the insights gained through fieldwork. In-person interviews, focus groups, and market visits effectively capture cultural nuances, trust factors, and behavioural patterns that raw data often overlook. In a country where context can vary significantly from one state to another, these insights are essential.
To navigate this complex landscape, businesses require the expertise of seasoned market research consultants. This article highlights ten leading indigenous market research consulting agencies in Nigeria, each offering unique strengths and capabilities.
1. Pierrine Consulting
Pierrine Consulting Limited brings technical precision and cultural fluency to every step of the fieldwork journey. With regional hubs in Nigeria and now Ghana and Kenya, they offer pan-African quantitative and qualitative reach and deliver truly grounded insights across the 36 states in Nigeria. Their services range from bespoke consumer interviews and retail audits to brand health and innovation trackers, ensuring your questions are answered with context and accuracy.
Under the leadership of CEO Seyi Adeoye, honoured as a Global Market Research Industry Legend, Pierrine blends quality-certified, ISO-aligned methods with powerful in-field presence. Whether you’re launching a new product in Lagos markets or testing messaging across rural communities, they pair robust digital tools with on-ground expertise honed through experience and agile delivery. With operational hubs in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, Pierrine Consulting offers pan-African reach, backed by ISO-aligned quality processes that guarantee reliable, actionable results.
This includes:
- Mixed-Method Research: Qualitative (focus groups, in-depth interviews, ethnography) and Quantitative (surveys, polls, trackers).
- Regional Coverage: Operational presence in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya, with capability for pan-African fieldwork.
- Contextual Accuracy: Incorporating cultural nuances, local languages, and market-specific consumer behaviours.
- Sector Experience: Projects spanning beauty, finance, and food & beverage, among others.
- Market Segmentation: Using demographic, attitudinal, and behavioural data to define target groups with precision.
- Applied Insights: Evidence-led reporting for product development, trend analysis, and market risk assessment.
2. Novatia Consulting
Novatia Consulting is a leading business-to-business research and strategy firm with deep reach across Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and northern, southern, and eastern Nigeria. They combine sound methodological design (quantitative and qualitative approaches, including focus groups, in-depth interviews, telephone and web surveys) with expert execution to deliver locally grounded, actionable insights.
3. Consumer Ideas
Consumer Ideas Ltd has been a full-service marketing and social research agency since 2013, known for pushing boundaries through fresh thinking and rigorous quality control. They bring that precision to fieldwork, delivering both quantitative and qualitative studies across West and Central Africa with strict data integrity from field to processing.
4. Webhaptic Intelligence
Webhaptic Intelligence is a leading full-service market research agency rooted in Lagos, delivering end-to-end, tech-enabled fieldwork, from sampling design and face-to-face interviews to focus groups and ethnographic studies across Nigeria and over 35 African markets.
5. The Market Research Consultancy Limited
The Market Research Consultancy Limited (MRC Group) is a full-service, pan-African agency, operating since 1995, with unmatched field presence across Nigeria and beyond, executing over 600,000 quantitative interviews and 1,500 qualitative sessions annually across 25+ countries.
6. Analaize Limited
Born in Lagos in 2023, Analaize is one of Nigeria’s most promising modern research and advisory firms, smartly blending on-ground field agent campaigns with real-time analytics to drive customer-centric growth strategies.
7. NOI Polls
NOI Polls specialises in public opinion and market research in Nigeria, offering insights into consumer behaviour, political trends, and social issues. Their research contributes to understanding the broader Nigerian context.
8. Field Data Solutions Africa (FDS)
Field Data Solutions Africa (FDS) blends rigorous frontline training with ethical field discipline, delivering robust face-to-face, telephonic, and online interviews across Nigeria’s most varied and remote communities.
9. Kantar Nigeria
Kantar Nigeria, part of the global Kantar network, offers a wide range of market research services, including brand equity measurement, media analysis, and consumer understanding. Their focus on quantitative research and market segmentation research provides valuable data for informed decision-making.
10. IPSOS
Ipsos is a leading global market research and consulting company headquartered in Paris, France, with operations in major markets in Africa, including Nigeria. Ipsos provides comprehensive services across various areas such as market strategy, product testing, audience measurement, customer experience, corporate reputation management, and crisis research.
In a market as complex as Nigeria, the difference between a winning strategy and an expensive mistake often comes down to the quality of your research. The agencies highlighted here show that when technical precision meets strong fieldwork, businesses gain insights that truly reflect the realities on the ground.
