Institutional Voids, Marketing Strategy, and Firm Performance in Nigerian Agribusiness: A Comparative Multi-Sector Analysis

This study comparatively analyses how institutional voids shape marketing strategy formulation and influence firm performance across multiple agribusiness subsectors in Nigeria, developing an original institutional marketing theory grounded in the African agribusiness context. Institutional voids, defined as the absence of market-supporting institutions including contract enforcement mechanisms, product quality certification systems, price transparency infrastructure, and consumer information platforms, impose distinctive constraints and opportunities on agribusiness marketing strategy. While the general relationship between institutional voids and firm behaviour has been theorised in the management literature, its marketing strategy implications within specific African agribusiness subsectors have not been systematically investigated. Drawing on North's institutional economics, Khanna and Palepu's institutional void framework, and the strategic marketing literature, the study constructs a comparative analytical model proposing that institutional void type and severity mediate the marketing strategy options available to agribusiness firms across cocoa, cassava, aquaculture, and poultry subsectors. A comparative case study design examines 24 agribusiness firms across South West, South East, and North Central Nigeria using 80 interviews, strategic document analysis, and performance data. Cross-case synthesis and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) identify configuration patterns linking institutional context, strategy choices, and performance outcomes. The study contributes an original institutional marketing theory for agribusiness in sub-Saharan Africa. Keywords: institutional voids, marketing strategy, agribusiness, firm performance, Nigeria