Meta, a multinational technology company, has informed advertisers that it will begin applying new location-based fees to certain advertisements delivered in six selected jurisdictions starting July 1, 2026, as the company moves to offset costs linked to digital services taxes and other regulatory charges.

In an email sent to advertisers, the company explained that the new charges will apply to ad impressions delivered to audiences in specific countries, regardless of where the advertiser’s business is based.

“Meta will soon apply new location fees to ads delivered in specific jurisdictions to cover digital service taxes (DST) and other location-based fees imposed on Meta in those jurisdictions,” the company said in the mail.

According to the notice, the fees will be applied to ads delivered in Austria (5%), France (3%), Italy (3%), Spain (3%), Türkiye (5%), and the United Kingdom (2%).

The company added that these rates and jurisdictions could change over time.

Meta described location fees as additional charges tied to where ads are delivered rather than where the advertiser operates.

“Location fees are additional charges that may apply to ads delivered in selected jurisdictions to cover part of the costs associated with doing business in those jurisdictions,” the company said.

The company noted that the charges will be calculated after ads are delivered and will not be deducted from campaign budgets.

Meta gave an example in the email: if an advertiser spends $100 on ads delivered in Italy, where the location fee is 3%, the final cost would be $103, excluding any applicable value-added tax.

Explaining the reason for the change, the company pointed to regulatory developments affecting technology platforms.

“The cost of delivering ads in specific jurisdictions is changing due to the evolving regulatory landscape, including digital services tax legislation. Until now, Meta has covered these additional costs,” the company said.

The company added that the move aligns with broader industry practices, noting that other digital platforms may introduce similar charges linked to digital service taxes.

Meta said the location fees will apply to all ad formats, including image and video ads, as well as campaigns such as WhatsApp click-to-message ads that are billed together with advertising.

The fees will appear on invoices with clear descriptions by jurisdiction, such as “Italy digital services,” the company said, adding that taxes like VAT will still be applied on top of the total amount.

Advertisers were advised to review the affected ad accounts and share the update with their finance, procurement and marketing teams to prepare for the changes.

Tizeti Network Limited, West African broadband provider, has launched an advertising-supported internet platform across its hotspot network in Nigeria and Ghana, allowing users to watch short video adverts in exchange for data access.

The system converts advertising engagement into internet connectivity, offering users the option to view a short video advertisement to unlock data without paying upfront.

Tizeti said the platform is now active across all its hotspot locations in the two countries, covering residential areas, campuses, commercial districts and other high-traffic urban locations.

The service runs on Google Ad Manager’s rewarded web advertising technology, which allows users to voluntarily watch advertisements and receive data rewards once the video is completed.

At a hotspot location, users connect to the network as usual but are given the option to watch a short advert in exchange for a defined amount of data. Those who choose to participate can repeat the process to earn additional internet access.

The company said the approach creates a value exchange between users, advertisers and network providers.

Users gain internet access without immediate payment, while advertisers reach audiences who have actively chosen to view their messages.

“Internet access is a fundamental driver of opportunity,” said Nsikak Asuquo, West Africa manager at Tizeti Network Limited.

“By rolling out reward-based internet access across Nigeria and Ghana, we are expanding connectivity without financial barriers while offering brands a high-engagement platform to reach more than 2.5 million active users,” he added.

Tizeti said participation in the advertising programme is voluntary and operates under its privacy policies, with data handled in compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and Ghana’s Data Protection Act.

The launch comes as Africa’s digital advertising market expands rapidly. Industry projections suggest programmatic advertising spending could exceed $5 billion on the continent by 2028 as brands increasingly shift marketing budgets online.

By integrating Google’s advertising infrastructure directly into its hotspot network, Tizeti aims to turn public Wi-Fi locations into scalable digital advertising channels while widening access to the internet.

Advertisers will be able to buy ad placements through Google Ad Manager’s ecosystem, including open auctions, private deals and programmatic guaranteed campaigns.

Tizeti said its hotspot network serves more than 2.5 million active users across Nigeria and Ghana.

The company provides broadband services using a mix of fibre infrastructure and public Wi-Fi networks, targeting communities, schools and businesses across the region.

Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of N81,108,143.8 stolen from Sterling Bank Plc following a system glitch that befell the financial institution.

Justice Yelim Bogoro gave the order on Monday, March 9, 2026, directing that the funds be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria in favour of the bank.

The ruling followed a motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through Hannatu U. KofarNaisa, its counsel.

The court had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order on October 2, 2025 and directed that the order be published in a national newspaper for anyone with an interest in the funds to appear and show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited.

Investigations revealed that the funds were part of more than N2.5 billion stolen by some customers of Sterling Bank following a system glitch that allowed unauthorised transfers.

The glitch reportedly enabled customers to exploit the PAYATTITUDE Global Ltd banking platform to move funds from their accounts even when they were not funded.

The anti-graft agency said it began investigating the case after receiving a petition from Sterling Bank on July 18, 2022.

According to Maina Gapani Gyal, EFCC investigator, more than N2.5 billion was fraudulently transferred and converted for personal use by several bank customers and third-party beneficiaries.

The investigation traced part of the stolen funds to accounts linked to Sulaiman Kehinde Ojora, identified as one of the major beneficiaries of the fraud.

Further findings showed that N43 million was concealed in the account of his friend, Taiwo Oluwaseyi Alawode, domiciled in Access Bank.

N122.2 million was hidden in the account of his wife, Aminat Olatanwa Ojora, domiciled in Sterling Bank.

The EFCC said the bank was unable to recover N295.9 million from the stolen funds because the money had already been withdrawn and converted by customers.

However, investigators were able to salvage N81.1 million, which became the subject of the forfeiture proceedings.

The bank also recovered N490.3 million from its internal ledger during the investigation.

The EFCC informed the court that the interim forfeiture order was published in The Punch on February 19, 2026, inviting any interested party to challenge the forfeiture.

After reviewing the motion and supporting documents, Justice Bogoro ruled that the application was valid.

“Having gone through the motion and attachments, I find the application meritorious and the same is accordingly granted,” the judge held.

The court subsequently ordered that the recovered N81,108,143.08 be finally forfeited to the Federal Government in favour of Sterling Bank.