Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

In recent years, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Development has emerged as a critical factor shaping user retention in digital products across organizations operating in and around Edo State. As institutions grapple with the pressures of globalization, regulatory reform, and shifting stakeholder expectations, understanding how minimum viable product (MVP) development relates to user retention in digital products has become an important area of both scholarly and practical concern.

Edo 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 minimum viable product (MVP) development, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with user retention in digital products, particularly within Edo State. Many organizations continue to make decisions about minimum viable product (MVP) development without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect user retention in digital products. 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 Minimum Viable Product (MVP) Development on user retention in digital products in Edo State.
2. To assess the extent to which minimum viable product (MVP) development influences user retention in digital products within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with minimum viable product (MVP) development in relation to user retention in digital products.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing minimum viable product (MVP) development in order to improve user retention in digital products.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of minimum viable product (MVP) development on user retention in digital products in Edo State?
2. To what extent does minimum viable product (MVP) development influence user retention in digital products within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with minimum viable product (MVP) development in relation to user retention in digital products?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize minimum viable product (MVP) development in order to improve user retention in digital products?

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 user retention in digital products. For managers and practitioners within Edo State, the study provides practical insight into how minimum viable product (MVP) development can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on product management by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Edo State, focusing specifically on how minimum viable product (MVP) development relates to user retention in digital products within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.