Exploring the Factors and Effects of Students’ Loyalty to Mobile Network Providers in Lagos, Nigeria: An Investigative Study

This study explores the relationship between students' mobile network usage for academic purposes and their loyalty to mobile network providers in tertiary institutions in Lagos. Findings reveal that the majority of respondents (62%) are female, aged between 17–22, and actively engage with mobile internet for academic activities. The study highlights students' academic performance correlates with mobile internet access, with 51.4% achieving a Second – Class Upper grade and 15.1% attaining First Class. Parental education plays a crucial role in students' choice of mobile network providers, with higher-educated parents guiding their children's decisions more effectively. The analysis of mobile internet usage shows that 30.2% of students reported high usage for academic purposes, with 23.5% indicating very high usage. Key activities include online lectures (38.4%) and research, emphasizing mobile internet’s role in academic engagement. Regarding loyalty, 42.6% of students’ associate loyalty with retention, while 23.8% believe recommendation plays a role. MTN emerges as the preferred provider (35.1%), while GLO (16.8%) and IpNX Nigeria (2.2%) have lower preference rates, highlighting network coverage and service quality as critical factors. Psychological and environmental variables influence students’ loyalty to mobile networks, with 68% satisfied with network coverage and 65% valuing customer support. Ordinal regression analysis indicates that age, gender, marital status, and mobile network provider impact academic performance and loyalty. These findings underscore the importance of expanding network coverage, improving efficiency, and enhancing customer service to support students' academic success and foster long – term loyalty to mobile network providers in Lagos.