Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Influencer Marketing has emerged as a critical factor shaping market share across organizations operating in and around the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how influencer marketing relates to market share has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector 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 influencer marketing, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with market share, particularly within the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector. Many organizations continue to make decisions about influencer marketing without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect market share. 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 Influencer Marketing on market share in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector.
2. To assess the extent to which influencer marketing influences market share within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with influencer marketing in relation to market share.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing influencer marketing in order to improve market share.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of influencer marketing on market share in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector?
2. To what extent does influencer marketing influence market share within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with influencer marketing in relation to market share?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize influencer marketing in order to improve market share?

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 market share. For managers and practitioners within the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector, the study provides practical insight into how influencer 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 Influencer Marketing and its relationship with market share within the context of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector. 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.