MEDIATING ROLE OF BRAND LOVE ON SERVICE QUALITY AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY IN NIGERIA TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY

Abstract

The telecommunication industry is a key sector that significantly contributes in growth and development; it also serves as the primary engine behind innovation and growth across various sectors of the economy. The telecommunication industry in Nigerian is experiencing intense rivalry, with subscribers’ growth indicating frequent switching between networks. This makes customer loyalty in the industry crucial for retaining customers and for the firm’s profitability. The study examined brand love’s mediatory role in the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty in the telecommunication industry in Nigeria. A cross-sectional study design was used and data was obtained using questionnaires administered to 768 MTN subscribers in North West Nigeria between December, 2023 and January, 2024. Structural Equation Model, Partial Least Squares modeling (SmartPLS) was employed for the analysis. The findings indicated direct relationship between service quality and customer loyalty as statistically significant, while brand love’s mediatory role does not substantially improve the ability to predict customer loyalty. There was a clear imperative for telecommunication companies to prioritize the enhancement of service quality, and this can be achieved by adopting a multifaceted approach encompassing improvements in network quality, customer service and overall service delivery. Therefore, this study recommends for further investigation into the nuanced dynamics of these relationships