Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Customer Relationship Marketing has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with consumer purchase intention. This growing interest reflects the recognition that customer relationship marketing does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Borno State.

Borno State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on customer relationship marketing, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with consumer purchase intention, particularly within Borno State. Many organizations continue to make decisions about customer relationship marketing without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect consumer purchase intention. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Customer Relationship Marketing on consumer purchase intention in Borno State.
2. To assess the extent to which customer relationship marketing influences consumer purchase intention within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with customer relationship marketing in relation to consumer purchase intention.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing customer relationship marketing in order to improve consumer purchase intention.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of customer relationship marketing on consumer purchase intention in Borno State?
2. To what extent does customer relationship marketing influence consumer purchase intention within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with customer relationship marketing in relation to consumer purchase intention?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize customer relationship marketing in order to improve consumer purchase intention?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around consumer purchase intention. For managers and practitioners within Borno State, the study provides practical insight into how customer relationship marketing can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on marketing by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Customer Relationship Marketing and its relationship with consumer purchase intention within the context of Borno State. It reflects a clearly defined scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.