Enterprise Resource Planning System Implementation Success Factors in Nigerian Manufacturing Companies

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementations in Nigerian manufacturing firms are frequently beset by schedule delays, budget overruns, and post-implementation underutilisation, resulting in poor return on technology investment. This study identifies critical success factors for ERP implementation in Nigerian manufacturing companies, with a focus on Kano State's industrial belt in the North West and the Lagos-Ogun industrial corridor in the South West. A quantitative survey administered to 50 ERP project managers, IT directors, and operations managers across 12 manufacturing firms assesses 18 candidate success factors derived from a review of recent ERP implementation literature. Statistical analysis using Pearson correlation identifies top executive sponsorship, change management investment, data quality preparation, and vendor post-go-live support as the four strongest predictors of implementation success. Firms that invested in structured change management programmes reported 2.3 times higher user adoption rates than those that did not. The study critiques the common practice of directly applying ERP configuration templates from international markets without adapting them to Nigerian regulatory and operational contexts, particularly FIRS tax reporting requirements. Professional recommendations include mandatory pre-implementation data cleansing audits and dedicated super-user training tracks for each ERP module. Keywords: ERP implementation, manufacturing, Nigeria, change management, success factors