Broadcasting
Make no Mistake, Digital Advertising has a Significant Role to Play in Nigeria’s Economy
By Steven Edge; Ad Dynamo by Aleph COO
Ask most people what they think drives Nigeria’s economy and they’ll probably say oil. However, while oil still accounts for a large proportion of the country’s international revenues, its actual role in Africa’s largest economy is increasingly small.
In fact, oil now accounts for just over 6% of Nigeria’s GDP, with technology now playing a much bigger role. This shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, Nigeria has a robust and competitive telecommunications space, and is home to many of the continent’s technology unicorns (start-ups with valuations in excess of US$1 billion).
Technology is however not a single-edged sword, it has other roles to play in the economy as well. Take the country’s booming fintech sector, for example. Of Africa’s seven unicorns, most operate in the fintech space, and five are Nigerian. Those fintech’s have also helped bring businesses online by making payments simpler and more efficient. As a result, as connectivity becomes cheaper and more ubiquitous, technology has intertwined itself with many significant aspects of the economy, including advertising.
In fact, digital advertising, which is today worth $179.20 million, is set to play an increasingly significant role going forward. That’s true not just for the country’s advertising sector, but also for the economy as a whole.
Primed for growth
In order to understand how influential digital advertising will be on the Nigerian economy, it’s important to provide some context surrounding exactly how primed the digital industry is for growth.
At present, there are around 109 million active internet users in Nigeria, that’s already a significant market for online advertisers, but this still only represents 51% of the total population. Thus, that number will only keep growing. In fact, it’s estimated that an additional 35 million Nigerians will come online by 2026. For context, that’s equivalent to the whole of Angola, for example, coming online in just four years. Not to mention, these internet users will also have increasingly high-quality connections. According to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission, the number of Nigerians with access to high-speed broadband internet grew 108.39% between March 2018 and March 2022.
Based purely on the maxim that advertisers need to be where their customers are, this is the kind of growth that simply cannot afford to be ignored.
Narrowing in and expanding beyond borders
When it comes to economic growth, however, it’s important to remember that digital advertising offers advantages that go significantly beyond reach and numbers. More so than any other form of marketing, digital advertising allows businesses to target people with highly personalised messages, catering to their individual needs.
With the right approach, businesses are therefore able to extract maximum value from any ad spend, enabling them to expand and grow, and this is not only the case for domestic growth either. With the right amount of platform related investments, including the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Spotify, Nigerian businesses can propel their products and services to the next level, into new markets, and beyond country borders.
Besides, the ability to bring in external revenue will only serve to further catalyse growth in the economy, and as the world slowly weans itself off oil, these foreign revenues will become more important. Thus, digital advertising will become critical to enabling growth.
Leveraging the necessary skills
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the digital skills needed for a robust digital advertising market will also have a positive knock-on effect for the Nigerian economy. With initiatives like Aleph’s Digital Ad Expert Academy, more people are learning how to professionally navigate the online space, and therefore the number of people who understand not only the power of platform investments, but also the necessity of it, will increase. It’s an extremely symbiotic and interesting ecosystem that’s developing at a really high pace.
With a growing number of financial options, improved digital access, and available education initiatives people are becoming more digitally savvy than ever before. As a result, when reaching the stage of employment, they already have a strong entrenched appreciation of platform advertising for businesses, thus increasing investments, leading to yet further economic growth, and so the cycle restarts and continues.
Moreover, the professionals equipped with these skills will not only be able to guide domestic businesses through their digital marketing transformations, but also to become significant players on the global digital stage. Some may even go a step further, using these digital marketing skills as a jumping-off point for exploring other digital technologies. From there, they can put themselves in a good position to help foster the next wave of Nigerian digital innovation.
Embracing a digital future
It is therefore undeniable that digital advertising has a significant role to play in the Nigerian economy, both in helping businesses to grow, as well as driving additional expansion and innovation. But, in order for it to have the maximum impact, it’s critical that this process is fully embraced by all, and that businesses partner with industry experts who understand how to help them reach the right audiences, on the right platforms, at the right time.
Federal government, yesterday, said that it will now launch the so-called FreeTV, with over 100 channels for news, sports, education, entertainment and children’s programming in multiple Nigerian languages on June 17.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had initially scheduled for May 15 for the launch.
But the new date was announced by Mohammed Idris, minister of Information and National Orientation, on Wednesday during a facility tour of NIGCOMSAT, alongside Dr Charles Ebuebu, director general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and other stakeholders.
Idris said the long-awaited migration from analogue to digital broadcasting had finally become a reality after years of failed attempts and delays, describing the project as a major breakthrough for Nigeria’s broadcasting industry.
“I have been grappling with this idea of the DSO for many years. Moving our transmissions from analogue to digital has now happened and is ready to be commissioned by June 17,” the minister said.
He revealed that several channels had already been bundled onto the platform, adding that the digital transition would transform broadcasting, advertising and television consumption across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
According to him, the new platform introduces scientific audience measurement tools capable of tracking viewership patterns in real time, thereby giving advertisers reliable data for targeted campaigns.
“Now science is at play. If you are viewing a station, we know who is watching what and how many people are watching. Advertisers can now take informed decisions about the kind of programming Nigerians want to watch across all demographics,” Idris stated.
The minister said the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT, NBC, the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Information had made the digital transition possible, while commending President Bola Tinubu for providing the necessary support and resources.
He described previous DSO efforts as limited and expensive due to encrypted set-top boxes but noted that the new system would be free and accessible to millions of Nigerians.
“In the past, the boxes were encrypted and costly. Now this is free. Government has taken off some of those costs on behalf of Nigerians,” he said.
Idris stressed that unlike earlier pilot phases restricted to a few cities, the new digital platform would have nationwide and regional reach through NIGCOMSAT’s satellite infrastructure.
“Everybody can now watch whatever he wants in real time and painlessly. Free TV everywhere for everybody”, he declared.
The minister also hinted that the platform would challenge the dominance of existing pay-TV operators by offering Nigerians wider viewing options at no cost.
“I don’t want to always use the word ‘substitute’, but this offers opportunities you didn’t get before. You no longer have that monopoly again. Competition is going to set in. Content will grow and viewership will grow,” he said.
He added that the platform would initially launch in standard definition, SD, before quickly transitioning to high definition, HD, bringing Nigerian broadcasting in line with global standards.
“Soon after the launch, we are moving to HD. Nigeria will now compete globally. What you watch here is what you get anywhere,” Idris said.
The minister further disclosed that the service was already available via mobile application and had successfully undergone testing ahead of the official unveiling.
Also speaking during the tour, managing director and chief executive officer of NIGCOMSAT, described the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT and NBC as a strategic partnership that has strengthened service delivery and raised operational standards within Nigeria’s digital broadcasting ecosystem.
According to her, ongoing investments and satellite expansion plans under the current administration will guarantee reliable and continuous service delivery.
“The work has only just started. The work has only just begun,” she said.
Among those who accompanied the Honourable Minister on the tour were Salihu Abdullahi Dembos, director-general, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA); Jibrin Baba Ndace, director-general, Voice of Nigeria (VON); Mohammed Bulama, director-general, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN); and Lanre Issa-Onilu, director-general, National Orientation Agency (NOA), alongside other senior government officials and dignitaries.
Metro Digital Limited, a licenced Indigenous broadcasting organisation, has accused Multichoice, pay television company, of refusing to obey judgements emanating from Courts in Nigeria.
It said the latest of such judgements is the one that was delivered by Justice Chinelo Odili of Rivers State High Court on May 4, 2026 in Suit No. PHC/3943/FHR/2025.
Dr. Paul Osuji, operations manager of Metro Digital, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
said the suit was filed by the organisation and two others against Multichoice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Osuji stated that Justice Odili has in the judgement described the arrest of a staff member of the company and the carting away of it’s properties and disruption of it’s broadcasting business by the EFCC over a civil dispute of copyrighy as unlawful and violations of the applicants’ rights.
The manager recalled that in October 2025, Multichoice instigated the EFCC to read their office in Port Harcourt, arrested a staff of the company and staff of another company, while the suit was still pending.
“On October 16, 2025, the premises of Metro Digital Limited, a licenced indigenous broadcasting organisation was raided by the Nigerian anti-graft agency, EFCC, instigated by Multichoice Nigeria, purportedly acting on a preservation order made by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over the sub licensing of broadcasting content right.
“The preservation order came from a civil dispute already adjudicated by the Court of Appeal No. CA/CS/188/2021 – Multichoice Vs Metro Digital Limited and 20 others, which is a subject of a pending appeal -No. SC/CV/1248/2022 -Multichoice and 20 others before the Supreme Court.
“Instructively, while suit No. PHC/ 3943/ FHR/2025 was still pending, Metro Digital Limited filed an application to set aside the said preservation orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Hon. Justice A.T Mohammed.
“In his ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, set aside the preservation orders and it’s legal execution on Metro Digital Limited. The court also ordered EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records of Metro Digital Limited, illegally and unlawfully carted away during the raid but the agency has till today not obeyed those orders of the Court,” he said.
Metro Digital Limited is known for operating SLTV, a direct-to-home satellite television service launched to provide affordable, locally-owned alternatives to international pay TV
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from sanctioning or punishing broadcast stations and presenters over the expression of personal opinions, alleged bullying of guests, or failure to maintain neutrality on air.
NBC
Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the interim injunction following an ex parte application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The court specifically restrained the NBC, its officers, agents and affiliated persons from enforcing its recently issued “Formal Notice” or imposing sanctions, fines or penalties on broadcasters based on provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
SERAP and NGE had approached the court to challenge what they described as an arbitrary and unlawful move by the commission to punish broadcasters for allegedly expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality during programmes.
The groups also asked the court to determine whether the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by NBC were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The suit followed an April statement by the NBC in which it raised concerns over what it described as increasing violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs and political programmes.
The commission had warned that presenters who expressed personal opinions as facts or bullied guests during live broadcasts would be sanctioned.
However, Justice Osiagor, in his ruling, held that pending the hearing of the substantive matter, the commission must refrain from using the formal notice to threaten, sanction or punish broadcast organisations and on-air personalities under the contested code provisions.
The matter was adjourned until June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
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