Brands/Products
Reputation Economy: How Nigerian Brands Won and Lost Public Trust in 2025
Nigeria’s leading independent media intelligence consultancy, P+ Measurement Services, has released its 2025 Industry Media Reputation Report, revealing that corporate reputation has emerged as one of the most decisive assets for Nigerian companies, rivaling financial performance and market share in shaping public trust.
The report analysed and audited thousands of print and online news reports published in 2025 across the banking, insurance, telecommunications, and e-hailing sectors. In total, coverage of 29 commercial banks, 13 insurance companies, five e-hailing platforms, and four telecommunications operators was examined to determine how corporate actions translated into public perception.
According to the findings, rising operational costs, currency pressures, regulatory scrutiny, labour relations, and service reliability now directly influence how brands are judged in the media and by stakeholders.
“Reputation is no longer a soft outcome of publicity. It is a measurable business asset shaped by corporate behaviour, governance quality, customer experience, and crisis response,” said a Senior Analyst at P+ Measurement Services, Ms Tumininu Balogun.
She added, “For more than a decade, we have been at the forefront of media intelligence in Nigeria. Our commitment to the PR and communications industry is to ensure that reliable media data and actionable insight are always available, so professionals can move beyond intuition and make truly data-driven decisions.”
E-Hailing Industry: Driver Relations Reshaped Corporate Reputation
The e-hailing sector recorded one of the clearest shifts in reputation dynamics in 2025, driven largely by labour policies and platform economics.
inDrive Nigeria led the sector with 39% of positive reputation share, following extensive media coverage of its decision to reduce driver commission to 0.1% during peak hours in Abuja. Bolt Nigeria followed with 32%, supported by reports on its electric tricycle deployment in Lagos. LagRide recorded 17%, driven by coverage of its electric vehicle infrastructure partnership, while Uber Nigeria accounted for 11% and Rida 1%.
On the negative reputation scale, Bolt recorded the highest share at 40%, linked to driver protests following fare reduction policies. Uber accounted for 29%, inDrive 20%, LagRide 8%, and Rida 3%, largely associated with reports on strike threats, platform reliability concerns, and driver earnings disputes.
The report notes that how platforms treat drivers has become as influential to reputation as rider experience.
Banking Industry: Profitability Confronted by Governance Risk
Among commercial banks, Stanbic IBTC recorded the strongest positive reputation position at 26%, driven by recognition as KPMG’s top retail bank. Zenith Bank followed with 22%, supported by dividend payout coverage. Fidelity Bank (19%), UBA (17%), and FirstBank (16%) gained positive reputation visibility through education initiatives, digital service upgrades, and branch automation projects.
However, reputational exposure remained significant. GTCO recorded the highest negative reputation share at 28%, followed by FirstBank at 26%, FCMB at 18%, and both UBA and Ecobank at 14%, mainly due to media reports concerning legal disputes, fraud investigations, and customer-related controversies.
The report highlights that in the banking sector, strong earnings and digital innovation strengthen reputation, but governance failures can rapidly undermine it.
Insurance Industry: Financial Stability and Data Protection Define Trust
In the insurance sector, AXA Mansard led positive reputation share with 36%, followed by Leadway Assurance (29%), AIICO (16%), NEM Insurance (11%), and SanlamAllianz (8%).
AXA Mansard also accounted for the highest negative reputation exposure at 68%, driven by reports of a significant decline in pre-tax profit. AIICO recorded 18%, Leadway 12%, and NEM 2%, largely connected to regulatory matters and data protection concerns, including coverage of customer data breaches.
The findings indicate that insurers are now judged as much by financial resilience and cybersecurity posture as by product offerings.
Telecommunications Industry: Infrastructure Investment Meets Rising Public Expectations
MTN Nigeria led positive reputation share with 47%, driven by infrastructure expansion narratives and innovation campaigns. Glo followed with 28%, Airtel Nigeria with 16%, and T2 (formerly 9mobile) with 9%, largely supported by its rebranding coverage.
On the negative reputation side, MTN recorded 44%, T2 31%, Glo 13%, and Airtel 12%, influenced by reports on service quality challenges and the Nigeria Labour Congress boycott directive targeting telecommunications operators.
The sector’s results suggest that while capital investment enhances visibility, network reliability and customer experience increasingly determine long-term reputation.
Reputation Has Become a Strategic Business Asset
Across all four industries, the report finds a consistent pattern: reputation in 2025 closely followed corporate behaviour.
Brands that demonstrated transparency, operational fairness, financial discipline, digital reliability, and customer focus were more likely to build positive public trust. Companies facing labour unrest, legal disputes, regulatory sanctions, data breaches, or service disruptions saw these issues rapidly reflected in their reputation profile.
For brand owners, investors, regulators, and communication professionals, the implication is clear: reputation is no longer managed only through messaging, but through measurable actions that are permanently recorded in the media ecosystem and searchable online.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The chief executive of Canal+ Africa, Mr David Mignot, has disclosed that MultiChoice is now fully integrated into the media group.
Mr Mignot disclosed this via a statement issued on Thursday, noting that this development marks a new phase in the evolution of one of Africa’s leading pay television operators.
He noted that the integration positions MultiChoice within a global media organisation with an extensive international footprint.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries. The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mr Mignot said.
The statement underscores the scale of the combined business, highlighting Canal+’s global reach alongside its significant investments across Africa.
The completion of the transaction is expected to strengthen MultiChoice’s position in the African media and entertainment market by giving it access to the broader resources, expertise and international capabilities of the Canal+ Group, while reinforcing the group’s commitment to the continent.
MultiChoice operates across sub-Saharan Africa through platforms including DStv and GOtv, serving millions of subscribers with entertainment, sports and news content.
By Adedapo Adesanya
FoodCourt, a Nigerian cloud kitchen startup backed by Y Combinator, has suspended operations after months of unpaid salaries and mounting debts to vendors triggered a staff strike and forced the company to halt customer orders, according to a report by TechCabal.
The publication reported that customers first noticed on March 4 that they could no longer place orders through the FoodCourt app after the company disabled ordering as kitchen workers, delivery personnel and branch staff embarked on strike over unpaid wages. The company also owed outstanding payments to vendors.
By April 19, FoodCourt had temporarily shut its last operating branch after suspending activities across its Lagos and Abuja locations while seeking fresh funding and restructuring the business, according to the report.
The company’s chief executive, Mr Henry Nneji, said the decision to pause operations was not caused by a single issue but by a combination of operational, organisational and working-capital challenges.
“It’s important to clarify that the decision to pause operations wasn’t driven by one single issue. We reached a point where it became clear that continuing to patch those issues while operating wasn’t the right long-term decision,” he said.
“The objective is to build a stronger business than the one that existed before the suspension. We fully intend to bring FoodCourt back,” he added in an emailed response.
The company acknowledged outstanding obligations to employees, vendors, riders and service providers, but declined to disclose the number of affected workers or the total amount owed. It said efforts were underway to resolve the liabilities as part of its restructuring process.
It was also reported that the startup’s financial difficulties worsened after expansion into additional locations increased operating costs, while its cloud kitchen model came under pressure from rising labour, logistics, food and marketing expenses.
Despite the shutdown, Mr Nneji said FoodCourt intends to relaunch after completing its restructuring, adding that the company believes demand for its products remains strong.
Founded in 2021 by Henry Nneji and Paul Adokiye Iruene, FoodCourt operates cloud kitchens under multiple virtual restaurant brands through its consumer app. According to TechCabal, the startup had previously disclosed raising $1.7 million, delivering more than one million meals and reaching $4.3 million in annual recurring revenue by the end of 2024.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
To further reinforce its commitment to continuous enhancement of customer experience through menu innovation and quality improvements, Chicken Republic, Nigeria’s leading quick-service restaurant brand and a flagship brand of Food Concepts Plc, has improved its Smokey Jollof recipe across restaurants nationwide.
As a customer-centric brand, Chicken Republic regularly evaluates consumer feedback, dining trends, and product performance to ensure its menu continues to deliver the quality and value to which customers have become accustomed.
The updated Smokey Jollof is part of this ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.
The refreshed recipe represents the latest evolution of one of the brand’s most popular offerings.
Developed with a focus on richer flavour, greater consistency and an even more satisfying eating experience, the improved Smokey Jollof reflects Chicken Republic’s dedication to meeting the evolving tastes and expectations of its customers.
“At Chicken Republic, our customers are at the heart of every decision we make. We are constantly listening, learning and looking for ways to improve the experience we deliver.
“The improved Smokey Jollof is a reflection of that commitment. We’ve refined the recipe to deliver an even richer, more enjoyable taste experience while maintaining the flavour profile our customers know and love,” the Managing Director of Food Concept, Mr Olumide Aniyikaiye, stated.
“Great brands evolve with their consumers. This update is not about changing what people love, but about making it even better.
“We are confident that customers will enjoy the improved recipe and appreciate the attention we continue to invest in delivering quality meals every day,” Mr Aniyokaiye added.
The improved Smokey Jollof is now available at Chicken Republic outlets nationwide, allowing customers to experience a more flavourful and consistent version of a fan-favourite menu item.
This latest enhancement underscores Chicken Republic’s broader commitment to innovation, quality and creating memorable meal experiences for customers across Nigeria.
