By Modupe Gbadeyanka

In fulfilment of its promise to listen, engage, and co-create with Nigerians at every point in their digital journey, MTN Nigeria has engaged its customers on some of its services.

The company brought its numerous customers together through a full-day hybrid event themed We See You. We’re With You under an initiative known as Customer Engagement Day (CED).

At the programme held at the MTN Rooftop in Lagos, the organisation received real-time feedback from customers and educated them on some practical data-saving tips and others.

The day featured fireside chats, data literacy sessions, a startup pitch challenge, speed mentorship with industry leaders and interactive lounges exploring MoMo PSB, which is MTN’s fintech subsidiary, content creation, and future technologies.

Addressing the gathering, the chief executive of MTN Nigeria, Mr Karl Toriola, said, “Today is about transparency: answering your questions, listening to your concerns, and showing that MTN is not just a service provider, we are a partner in your journey.”

He stated that the firm has invested heavily to build a network that delivers value for money, noting that while data in Nigeria remains among the most affordable globally, the priority is quality and consistency that truly powers ambition.

During discussions about data usage and management, the Chief Customer Relations and Experience Officer at MTN Nigeria, Ugonwa Nwoye, encouraged smarter data habits and reaffirmed MTN’s commitment to transparency.

“We know how essential data is, it’s how we live, work, and connect. From parents streaming classes, to small businesses on Zoom, we see your daily realities. That’s why we’re focused not just on providing data but on helping you use it better, with practical tools and tips that put you in control. We hear you, and we’re acting on what you’ve told us today,” Nwoye stated.

The Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, said, “Today has been about listening, learning, and connecting with you. We’ve heard your complaints, your ideas and even your personal stories.

“From parents balancing their children’s needs, to businesses working tirelessly online, be assured that we listen, we care, and we do. Your trust means everything to us, and we’re committed to turning today’s conversations into real actions. Beyond this event, we want you to leave knowing that MTN sees you, hears you, and is with you.”

By Olumide Balogun

The digital pulse of Nigeria beats fastest on mobile. With NGN 1 billion projected in app usage and purchases for 2025 across the continent, marketers in Nigeria cannot afford to ignore this wave. At Google’s recent “Appcelerate” summit, top industry voices explored the central role of mobile apps in today’s marketing strategies. The takeaway was unmistakable: Nigerians spend over 4 hours daily on mobile, with 80% of that time in apps. Apps have moved from being optional extras to becoming the core of customer engagement, business efficiency, and innovation.

Smartphone access is set to reach 880 million across Africa by 2030. Monthly mobile data use is expected to triple. Nigeria is leading this digital surge, ranking 6th globally for app downloads, with a 320% rise in just two years. This growth signals more than user numbers—it shows a market with deeper engagement, higher loyalty, and richer opportunities for businesses that tap into the app-driven economy.

For marketers and business owners, apps are now a key growth driver. The path forward is clear: understand what makes apps work and how to maximize their impact. Here are seven ways Nigerian marketers can make the most of this app-led shift.

1. Treat the Customer Journey as Unified

Forget dividing your audience into “web customers” and “app customers.” Nigerian consumers move seamlessly from browser to app and back again, often in a single purchase journey. For example, someone might discover your brand via Google Search, browse your site, get distracted, then see your ad again. If they have your app, a click can bring them right back to their cart inside the app, ready to buy. Your marketing needs to reflect this reality, ensuring that the brand experience is integrated across all digital touchpoints, making it easier to convert potential customers wherever they start or finish.

2. Focus on Profitable App Engagement

App users are your most valuable customers. They engage more, show higher loyalty, and tend to spend more than those who stick to your website. The numbers back this up—app purchasers often buy beyond their original intent. By making it a priority to acquire and retain app users, you are building a strong foundation for business growth. Think of a local food delivery app: regular users order more, try out new offers, and use app-exclusive deals, all of which drives up their lifetime value.

3. Use Apps as a Goldmine for First-Party Data

With digital privacy in sharper focus, apps give marketers a chance to collect direct, consented customer data. People are more likely to share information in trusted apps, giving you deeper insight into their habits and preferences. This data is critical for building profiles and running personalized campaigns. For example, a fintech app can track user spending, preferred services, and savings goals, then use these insights to suggest relevant products and build stronger relationships.

4. Measure Holistically Across Web and App

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Marketers need to see the whole picture—not just fragments—so a cross-platform measurement strategy is a must. Tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) let you track engagement and conversions across both web and app, tying user behavior together for a complete view of the journey. For example, a travel company can see when a customer searches for flights on their website and later books a trip through their app. This full-path insight helps marketers optimize spend and improve results.

5. Turn Web Campaigns into App Conversions

When your analytics are set, guide your web users to your app. For those with the app installed, deep links can take them from a web ad right into the app, straight to the content they want. Google’s Web to App Connect in Google Ads makes this easy. If a user searches for “affordable smartphones” and clicks your ad, they can be taken directly to that section in your app, making the buying process smooth and fast. This frictionless experience boosts conversion rates and increases satisfaction.

6. Drive Growth with Google Ads and App Campaigns

Growing your app’s user base takes more than organic buzz. Google Ads offers App Campaigns designed for this moment, reaching billions of users across Google Search, Play, Gmail, YouTube, and more than 2 million sites and apps on the Display Network. App Campaigns use machine learning to find the right people for your app at the right time, helping you not only drive installs but also meaningful engagement. To date, these ads have delivered over 10 billion installs worldwide—proof of their scale and effectiveness. Nigerian developers and marketers can use this approach to efficiently build a high-value audience, whether launching a fintech app or driving engagement for a new delivery service.

7. Make YouTube Your Discovery Engine

When it comes to discovering new apps and products, few platforms rival YouTube. With nearly 2 billion logged-in users every month, YouTube reaches audiences at scale, and it’s where people spend more than a billion hours each day watching video. Importantly, over 70% of YouTube’s watch time is on mobile, which fits perfectly with Nigeria’s mobile-first population. YouTube is a go-to destination for Gen Z—especially gamers and creators—looking to connect with communities and discover new apps. In Nigeria, YouTube watch time grew by 55% in the past year, signaling a prime opportunity for app marketers to reach engaged, mobile-first audiences and boost visibility.

For Nigerian businesses, the path to sustained digital growth and profitability is now closely tied to leveraging platforms like Google Ads and YouTube. By adopting an integrated digital strategy that measures comprehensively with GA4, optimizes with Web to App Connect, and grows through AI-powered App Campaigns and video discovery on YouTube, marketers can unlock new levels of value and engagement. The opportunity is wide open for any brand ready to meet customers where they are—on their phones, in their apps, and in their favorite videos.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

About $37 million is being invested in Africa by Google to ensure the continent is not left behind in technology, with $7 million earmarked for Artificial Intelligence (AI) education in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa to support academic institutions and nonprofits building localized AI curricula, online safety training, and cybersecurity programs.

In addition, two new $1 million grants from Google.org aim to bolster AI research capacity across the continent.

One grant goes to the African Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AfriDSAI) at the University of Pretoria to support applied AI research and training. The other supports the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute in South Africa, which will fund MSc and PhD students to conduct foundational AI research and help shape Africa’s role in the global AI landscape.

Also, the tech giant is providing $25 million for an AI Collaborative for Food Security, which will bring together researchers, and nonprofit organizations to co-develop AI tools for early hunger forecasting, crop resilience, and tailored guidance for smallholder farmers.

The goal is to help make food systems across Africa more adaptive, equitable, and resilient in the face of increasing climate and economic shocks.

Further, the company is providing $3 million for Masakhane Research Foundation to support the development of high-quality datasets, machine translation models, and speech tools that make digital content more accessible to millions of Africans in their native languages.

To further empower innovation, Google is launching a catalytic funding initiative to support AI-driven startups tackling real-world challenges. This platform will combine philanthropic capital, venture investment, and Google’s technical expertise to help more than 100 early-stage ventures scale AI-based solutions in agriculture, healthcare, education, and other vital sectors. Startups will also receive mentorship, access to tools, and technical guidance to support responsible development.

Google has also launched an AI Community Centre in Accra for AI learning, experimentation, and collaboration in Africa. The facility will host training sessions, community events, and workshops focused on responsible AI development.

Its programming will span four pillars: AI literacy, community technology, social impact, and arts and culture — providing a platform for a diverse ecosystem of developers, students, and creators to engage with AI in ways that are grounded in African priorities.

To help meet the rising demand for AI and digital skills, Google is rolling out 100,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships for students in higher learning institutions across Ghana.

These fully funded, self-paced programs will focus on AI Essentials, Prompting Essentials, and other high-growth fields like IT Support, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity — enabling more learners to access job-ready training and build careers in AI and the digital economy.

“Africa is home to some of the most important and inspiring work in AI today. We are committed to supporting the next wave of innovation through long-term investment, local partnerships, and platforms that help researchers and entrepreneurs build solutions that matter,” the Senior Vice President for Research, Labs, and Technology and Society at Google, Mr James Manyika, said.

Also, the Vice President of Engineering and Research at Google, Mr Yossi Matias, stated, “This new wave of support reflects our belief in the talent, creativity, and ingenuity across the continent. By building with local communities and institutions, we’re supporting solutions that are rooted in Africa’s realities and built for global impact.”