SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AMONG INDEPENDENT OIL AND GAS MARKETERS IN TSOUTH-WESTERNGEO-POLITICAL ZONE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between social media usage and customer acquisition among independent oil and gas marketers in Southwest Nigeria. This is against the backdrop that existing studies largely focus on consumer goods, banking, and telecommunications, leaving a gap in understanding how independent oil and gas marketers operating in a highly competitive and trust-sensitive environment leverage social media for customer acquisition. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 376 independent oil and gas marketers across five major depots in Southwest Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis to assess the effect of hours spent on social media on customer acquisition. The findings reveal a positive and statistically significant relationship between social media usage and customer acquisition (β = 0.15, p < 0.001). Each additional hour spent on social media increased the odds of customer acquisition by approximately 16%. Marketers who invested 15–20 hours per week on social media recorded substantially higher probabilities of customer acquisition than those with minimal engagement. Based on these findings, the study recommends that independent oil and gas marketers adopt structured and sustained social media strategies and that industry associations provide digital marketing