The Effect of Country-of-Origin Cues on Consumer Evaluation of Foreign Food Products in Nigerian Urban Markets

This study empirically examines the effect of country-of-origin (COO) cues on consumer evaluation of foreign food products in Nigerian urban markets, drawing data from consumers in Kano, North West Nigeria, and Abuja, North Central Nigeria. The country-of-origin effect, whereby consumers use a product's country of manufacture as a halo or summary information cue in evaluation, is well-documented in international marketing literature. In Nigeria, where imported food products compete with locally produced goods across multiple categories, COO effects carry significant practical implications for both foreign exporters and domestic producers. Grounded in the halo and summary construct COO frameworks and consumer ethnocentrism theory, the study operationalises COO effects at the macro (country image) and micro (product-specific image) levels and tests their influence on quality evaluation, attitude formation, and purchase likelihood. A cross-sectional survey of 380 urban food consumers is conducted using systematic random sampling from supermarkets and specialty food stores. SEM via AMOS is the analytical framework. The study also examines whether consumer ethnocentrism moderates COO effects. Preliminary findings reveal that macro COO effects (overall country image) have a stronger influence on quality evaluation for unfamiliar brands, while micro COO effects (product-specific expertise perceptions) dominate for established foreign brands. Ethnocentrism negatively moderates purchase likelihood for all foreign products, with stronger effects among older, less educated consumers. Keywords: country-of-origin, consumer evaluation, food products, ethnocentrism, Nigerian urban markets