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Digital Marketing in Africa: Bringing Much-needed Skills to Nigeria’s Youth
By Brian Abel – Team Lead, Greater Africa, Ad Dynamo by Aleph
There is a huge demand for digital marketing skills around the world, hardly surprising in a vastly online world, in which the majority of people are considered to be permanently plugged in. In essence, if you’re not marketing to people digitally, you’re not really marketing to them at all. Considering this, it is astonishing just how big of a skills gap remains.
Prior to 2020, we already witnessed a wide digital marketing skill gap, and this has only increased in recent years thanks to the rapid digital transformation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, according to research by Salesforce and Rand Europe, the skill divide is so large that it could cause 14 G20 countries to lose out on US$11.5 trillion in cumulative GDP growth.
Africa is not excluded from this growing divide either. Despite difficulties ascertaining the precise figures on digital marketing within Africa, it is worth noting that research from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) shows that some 230 million jobs across the continent will require digital skills by 2030.
However, thankfully, within that same skill gap, there is a significant opportunity for young Africans and Nigerians. If young professionals are equipped with the necessary skills to succeed, especially within digital marketing, doors will begin to open for them. This will enable them to not only guide domestic businesses through their digital marketing transformations, but also become significant players on the global digital stage.
The Importance of Digital Marketing Skills
In order to understand the scale of the opportunity, it’s worth remembering that Nigeria’s GDP, already the largest in Africa, is set to reach US$450 billion in 2022, having returned to a growth trajectory post-COVID-19. Furthermore, increasingly large proportions of that economy are also either wholly digital or digitally enhanced. In fact, digital revenues in the country are expected to hit US$16.43 billion by 2025, up from US$11.38 billion this year.
Moreover, it is also worth noting that only 51% of Nigeria’s population currently have internet access. However, as the infrastructure for connectivity becomes more ubiquitous and prices fall, that number will grow rapidly, and it is anticipated that 35 million additional Nigerians will be online by 2026. It is therefore clear that there remains plenty of room for growth within Nigeria’s economy, and in parallel, it will become increasingly important for both multinationals and home grown businesses to market themselves online. That in turn makes it critical to not only foster, but also grow digital marketing skills, and ensure that those companies have the best possible on-the-ground support.
The Youth Opportunity
Fortunately, Nigeria already benefits from a booming young population, with the average age of 18, and many of which are digital natives, having grown up with mobile phones, and access to the internet. Therefore, having already been indoctrinated into the digital world, they are unafraid of technology, understand its potential to connect people with brands, and are eager to expand their knowledge.
Therefore, by equipping Nigeria’s youth with in-demand digital marketing skills, it is possible to not only ensure success for business marketing, but also that these young professionals get the chance to enter high-growth industries with the promise of economic advancement. This is undoubtedly critical in a country where unemployment for people aged 15 to 24 is as high as 53.4%.
Nevertheless, in order for any digital marketing skills initiative to make a tangible difference, it cannot be solely focused on providing young people just general skills. Thus, instead must ensure that everyone has the relevant skills needed to effectively market to people across the world’s leading digital platforms, including Twitter, Snapchat, and Spotify.
This notion is in fact at the core of our commitments at Aleph Group. Our Digital Ad Expert Programme aims to educate, certify, and connect thousands of Africans with the digital skills needed to succeed in a rapidly digitising economy.
Our aim is to create a generation of young people that are capable of driving their local digital economies to the next level.
Beyond Marketing
It is, of course, important to consider the additional benefits of these skills, as they will not only serve individuals who choose to pursue careers in marketing. In fact, the skills and certifications provided may also complement entrepreneurial enterprises or symbolize a diving board into the broader digital landscape, and thus, ultimately result in added developers, technicians, and well-rounded generalists crucial to building the digital economy.
The digital opportunity in Nigeria is massive, it is therefore crucial that the country’s young generations are given the best possible chance to embrace it, and therefore equipping them with essential digital marketing skills may well be the best place to start.
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says the country now ranks second in Africa for domestic passengers, hitting 10.5 million in 2025—a 10 percent jump.
FAAN
FAAN boss Olubunmi Kuku disclosed this at the Airports Council International Africa conference in Luanda, Angola.
Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport posted 11.8 percent growth in air traffic movements, one of Africa’s strongest.
Cargo surged 34.4 percent at Lagos, cementing its top-tier status.
Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe and Lagos airports cracked Africa’s top 10 for domestic traffic.
Kuku stressed Nigeria’s push to host and shape African air links amid rising demand for modern, resilient airports.
Afro-pop star Joeboy takes centre stage this week as he features on the Easter edition of African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored magazine programme on CNN.
In this episode, the Nigeria-born singer sits down with show anchor, Larry Madowo, in Lagos, where he shares the story of his journey from a young university student with big dreams to becoming one of Afrobeats’ most recognised voices.
Long before global attention, Joeboy, born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus, started out experimenting with music and sharing covers online. His 2017 cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” marked a turning point, helping him transition fully into singing and setting the stage for what was to come.
That moment soon opened new doors, including a connection with Mr. Eazi, who brought him into the emPawa Africa talent programme. This provided support and exposure for his music to reach a wider audience, laying the foundation for his professional career. The alliance also birth “Fààjí,” which featured Mr. Eazi in 2018, after which he was signed to Warner Music Africa.
Under this partnership, Joeboy released his hit single “Baby” in 2019, followed by “Beginning,” which has 23 million views on YouTube. He also released “Love & Light” the same year and featured Mayorkun in the tracks “Don’t Call Me” and “All for You”
Since then, the 29-year-old has gone on to release two albums, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic in February 2021 and Body & Soul in 2023, while earning recognition across the continent, including awards for his contributions to African pop music. He won Best Artist in African Pop at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and Best Pop at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.
The programme will air on Saturday at 7.30 a.m., with several repeat broadcasts scheduled across the weekend and into the following week. 11 a.m. on Saturday; on Sunday at 3.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. This continues on Monday at 3 a.m. and 5.45 p.m, and on Tuesday at 5.45 p.m. The schedule will be repeated next week until 3 a.m. on Monday.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), seeking to overturn a Federal High Court judgement that restrained it from imposing fines on radio and television stations across the country.
NBC
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, on behalf of a three-member panel, upheld the earlier ruling and set aside the fines imposed by the NBC on 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019, for alleged breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The panel was presided over by Justice Abba Mohammed, with Justice Donatus Okorowo as the third member.
According to a statement issued by Idowu Adewale, Communications Officer of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), the unanimous decision of the Court of Appeal stemmed from a suit filed by the non-governmental organisation in November 2021, challenging the NBC’s powers to impose fines on broadcasters.
The Federal High Court, in its judgement delivered on May 10, 2023, by Justice James Omotosho, ruled in favour of MRA after the NBC failed to defend the suit.
The court held that fines are sanctions imposed on persons found guilty of criminal offences and, under Nigerian law, only courts of law have the authority to impose such penalties.
Setting aside the fines of ₦500,000 each imposed on the affected stations, Justice Omotosho stated that the NBC “is neither a court nor a judicial tribunal to make pronouncements on the guilt of broadcast stations, notwithstanding what the NBC Code says.”
He added that the Commission’s actions violated the Constitution.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the NBC filed a motion in July 2023, urging the same court to set aside the judgement on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction and had reached its decision without considering relevant facts.
However, in November 2023, Justice Omotosho dismissed the application, describing it as futile and an afterthought, noting that available evidence showed the Commission had been duly served but failed to appear in court to defend the case.
The NBC subsequently approached the Court of Appeal in July 2024, seeking to overturn the judgement.
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At the hearing on February 4, 2026, Mr Victor Ogude (SAN), leading Mr Kehinde Wilkey for the NBC, adopted his brief of argument and made additional submissions.
Counsel to MRA, Ezenwa Anumnu, also adopted his brief and responded accordingly.
In its ruling, the appellate court agreed with MRA’s position that the NBC, having failed to contest the suit at the Federal High Court, could not raise fresh challenges at the appellate level.
Justice Oyewumi held that the appeal lacked merit and accordingly dismissed it.
With this decision, MRA has secured victory in the first of two appeals involving the NBC over separate Federal High Court judgements barring the Commission from imposing fines on broadcast stations.
The second appeal, filed by the NBC against a similar judgement delivered on January 17, 2024 by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, is still pending. The Court of Appeal heard arguments in that matter on March 25, 2026 and has reserved judgement.
In that case, the NBC is challenging a ruling arising from a suit filed by MRA after the Commission imposed fines of ₦5 million each on a television station and three pay-TV platforms in 2022 for allegedly undermining national security through the broadcast of documentaries on banditry in Nigeria.
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