Economy
5 Ways Small Businesses In Nigeria Can Build Positive Online Reputation
With the current economic situation in Nigeria, small businesses are finding it extra hard to survive or at least stay relevant. There are a million and one things they have to worry about now as well as strategies they have to consider if they want to keep shop. One of such strategies is “online reputation management”.
It is no secret that everything is literally done online now and so, if you want your business to succeed, you need to put it online. Basically, a business’ online presence can make or break its actuality. Aside from having an online presence however, it is essential for any business to know how to protect its online reputation.
Do you own a small business and you are wondering how you can do this? Jumia Travel shares 5 tips that can help you protect and manage your business’ reputation online.
Join and remain active on Social Networks
Social media platforms, when used in the right way, can be an effective way to shape a business’ reputation. The results may not be instant, but with a genuine profile and consistent original content that resonates with your target market, you gain real connections. Start with Facebook or Twitter accounts and ensure you constantly send posts on the platforms. Delays in responding to Tweets, posts, comments and questions can have a negative impact on your reputation. Think about reciprocation and engage your customers rather than constantly adopting a direct sales approach.
Seek publicity
Aside from being on the social media, seek other ways for self-promotion. Try web advertising and if you cannot afford to do that, an alternative way to seek publicity online would be to write articles for other sites and blogs and ensure you write on topics that will establish yourself as an expert in your field and essentially spread your good company name.
Get in directory listings and business profile sites
Anyone who wants to check the authenticity of a business, would usually check to see its inclusion on official listings and directories. Just the act of registering on these sites sets a positive reputation. Listing and online directories are essential as they help customers with searches and they eventually drive traffic to your site where you can adopt reputation management tools to keep your visitors interested and active on your pages.
Encourage reviews
Most businesses tend to shy away from reviews as they are afraid they may eventually get damaged by a negative review. It is important however that these business owners keep in mind that feedback is valuable as it gives essential insights into the reputation of the business. If you don’t know what people are saying about your business, you do not know what your reputation is, much less what must be done to manage it. In the case you get a negative review, see it as an opportunity to correct an issue or satisfy a dissatisfied customer. Take the time to respond both publicly on the review and privately with the customer through email to make it right. Do not be lured by the temptation of paying for good reviews either, as this breaks the terms of service of many directories and can result in long term harm to your visibility on their site.
Manage your offline reputation
Do not be deceived, your offline reputation is as important as your online reputation. Your online reputation is essentially built upon the offline experiences of your customers with your business and as such, they heavily influence how your small business in perceived online. Do all you can to ensure your customer has a positive experience with your services, products or facilities. Ensure you have a system in place that allows dissatisfied customers to express their concerns and also allows you to answer questions and make decisions that address and resolve issues before they become online complaints.
Nkem Ndem is a PR Associate at Jumia Travel.
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One of the leading local energy firms, Oando Plc, delivered an impressive financial performance in the first six months of 2026, according to details of its results filed to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.
Between January and June 2026, revenue surged by 20 per cent to N2.1 trillion from N1.7 trillion in the same period of 2025, driven by growth in the Exploration & Production and Trading segments of the business.
Also, the net profit grew by 8 per cent year-on-year to N68.6 billion from N63.3 billion, supported by improved operating profits and tax credits.
It was observed that the organisation deepened its domestic gas monetisation portfolio with the commencement of long-term gas supply of 11.2 MMscfd to the newly commissioned 60 MW Bayelsa Independent Power Plant.
“The first half of 2026 marks an important inflexion point in Oando’s journey. Over the past two years, our priority has been to successfully integrate one of the most significant upstream acquisitions in Africa and unlock the full value of our expanded portfolio. The progress achieved during the period demonstrates that we are now delivering the operational and financial outcomes expected from that transformation,” the chief executive of Oando, Mr Adewale Tinubu, stated.
Commenting further on the results, Mr Tinubu said, “Operational efficiency underpinned our performance during the period as we strengthened asset integrity, improved facility reliability and reinforced security across our operating areas, resulting in average facility uptime of 92 per cent while reducing production operating costs by 18 per cent to $16.83 per boe.”
“Our development programme also gathered significant momentum during the period as we successfully drilled and completed two land development wells, with an additional land well currently being drilled, while mobilising a second drilling rig to accelerate activity across our operated portfolio.
“In parallel, we continued an extensive programme of rig-less well interventions designed to restore production, sustain plateau output and mitigate natural field decline. Together, these activities increased average production to 42,789 boepd, representing 16 per cent year-on-year growth.
“This translated into a stronger financial performance, with revenue increasing by 20 per cent to N2.1 trillion, while the business generated N179.5 billion in operating cash, improving liquidity. Profit after tax also increased by 8 per cent to N68.6 billion, reflecting the overall improvement in operating performance during the period,” he pointed out.
The Oando chief also said, “Looking ahead in 2026, our priorities remain firmly centred on completing our seven-well drilling programme and portfolio-wide well intervention campaign while delivering production of circa 50,000 boepd.
“Beyond 2026, our identified inventory of 62 development wells, supported by 55 planned well interventions, provides a clear pathway towards our medium-term production ambition of approximately 100,000 boepd.
“Furthermore, we shall execute an intensive fundraising and balance sheet restructuring programme to optimise our capital structure, strengthen our financial position, improve working capital, enhance financial flexibility and ensure the business is appropriately funded to accelerate growth and maximise long-term shareholder value.
“We have built a resilient operating platform and established a clear roadmap for growth. Our focus is now on translating our significant opportunities into higher production, a stronger balance sheet and superior long-term returns for our shareholders.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
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According to a report by Bloomberg on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter, the Hong Kong-headquartered company is in advanced discussions to raise about $200 million in a new funding round that would cement its unicorn status and support its next phase of expansion.
The planned fundraising comes as PalmPay accelerates its growth strategy across Africa and Asia, while positioning itself for a public listing that could become one of the most significant fintech IPOs involving an Africa-focused company in recent years.
PalmPay’s move follows a period of rapid growth in Nigeria, where it has become one of the country’s largest digital financial services providers. Alongside OPay and Moniepoint, the company forms the trio that dominates Nigeria’s retail digital payments and agency banking market, a segment driven by millions of point-of-sale (POS) transactions processed daily.
With PalmPay’s latest valuation milestone, all three leading Nigerian fintechs have now achieved unicorn status. While OPay has previously disclosed plans to pursue a listing in the United States, Moniepoint has remained focused on expanding its banking and business services without publicly indicating IPO ambitions.
Founded in 2019 after securing a Mobile Money Operator (MMO) licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), PalmPay has built one of the country’s fastest-growing fintech ecosystems. The company says it now serves more than 35 million registered users and over 600,000 merchants, supported by an extensive network of more than 500,000 mobile money agents nationwide.
The platform offers a broad suite of financial services, including peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, airtime purchases, savings, credit products, merchant payment solutions and agency banking services. PalmPay says it processes as many as 15 million transactions daily, reflecting the increasing adoption of digital payments across Nigeria.
Beyond its home market, the fintech has expanded into Tanzania, Ghana, and Bangladesh, underscoring its ambition to become a leading emerging-market digital bank. Industry analysts view the expansion as part of a broader strategy to diversify revenue streams while replicating its Nigerian success in other underbanked markets.
PalmPay has attracted backing from prominent global investors, including Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer MediaTek and smartphone maker Transsion Holdings, whose Tecno, Infinix and itel brands command significant market share across Africa. Their support has helped PalmPay leverage smartphone penetration to drive financial inclusion through mobile-first banking services.
As part of efforts to strengthen its leadership ahead of its next growth phase, PalmPay recently appointed Mr Samuel Oluyemi as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for its Nigerian business. Mr Oluyemi joined the company after more than two decades at the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), where he played key roles in developing the country’s digital payments infrastructure.
If completed, the fundraising and eventual Hong Kong listing would further underscore growing international investor confidence in African fintech companies despite a more cautious global venture capital environment. The proceeds are expected to support PalmPay’s geographical expansion, deepen its product offerings, invest in technology infrastructure and strengthen its competitive position in Africa’s rapidly evolving digital financial services industry.
By Adedapo Adesanya
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CSCS Plc, the Nigerian securities depository company, gained N10.00 to close at N112.00 per share compared with the previous session’s N102.00 per share, and FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc advanced by N4.71 to quote at N152.64 per unit versus last Friday’s N147.93 per unit.
As a result, the NASD Security Index (NSI) added 92.14 points to finish at 4,523.85 points compared with the preceding session’s 4,431.71 points, and the market capitalisation appreciated by N55.31 billion to N2.715 trillion from N2.659 trillion.
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