Nigeria Risks Losing Billions in 2026 if Influencer Strategy Doesn’t Evolve
Op-ed by Peter Molokwu — Co-founder and Lead PR Strategist, Ligera Digital Agency
Source: Original
Nigeria is entering a new era of digital influence, yet many brands are still spending money like it is 2018. Influencer marketing has grown, but the thinking behind it has not. The brands that will win in 2026 are the ones that understand that influence is now built through trust and relatable storytelling, not star power alone.
Nigeria Is Noticing Influencers More Than Ever
Nigeria’s digital economy is expanding fast. Data from Kantar and Statista shows that digital advertising in Nigeria crossed 340 million dollars in 2025 and is projected to grow even further in 2026. Social media remains the most dominant channel, with over 40 million active social media users in Nigeria and rising. Even more telling is this: according to GeoPoll and NOI Polls, more than 65 per cent of young Nigerians say they have purchased something because a creator recommended it. Influence has become part of daily life, and brands can no longer afford to approach it casually.
What Success Looks Like in Our Market
The Pepsi “No Shakin Carry Go” campaign remains one of the clearest examples of local success. Instead of glamour for glamour’s sake, it leaned into everyday life. Influencers showed Nigerians living their normal routines, enjoying Pepsi right where they are. The result was over 22 million views and tens of thousands of user-generated posts. Chivita’s “Everyone Has a Chivita” campaign did something similar. It activated influencers across different regions and allowed them to create personal content about moments that matter to Nigerians. It worked because it felt lived in, not staged. These campaigns proved one thing: Nigeria responds to personality, relatability and cultural awareness.
Where Brands Keep Missing the Mark
The campaigns that fail often do so for the same reasons. A big celebrity. A polished post. Zero connection to the product or the audience. Nigerians scroll past content that feels disconnected from real life. They may like it, but they will not take action.
In many failed campaigns, the creators clearly have no relationship with the product. Nigerians notice. They move on. The lesson is clear. Influence is no longer about how many people follow you. It is about how deeply your audience trusts you.
What I See Every Day in the Nigerian Market
I have watched brands pour millions into headline influencers, only to realise they bought reach, not influence. Then I have seen smaller creators, with ten thousand to fifty thousand loyal followers, drive better results. Their audience listens because their voice feels authentic. These creators often live in the same communities as their followers. They speak the same language, share the same problems and celebrate the same joys. That is the influence in Nigeria. It is human. It is local.
The Data Marketers Ignore
Several Nigerian reports show the same pattern again and again:
- The average engagement rate for nano and micro influencers in Nigeria sits between 4 and 7 per cent. Some go even higher.
- Large celebrity influencers often average below 2 per cent.
- More than 70 per cent of Nigerian consumers trust recommendations from influencers they see as “regular people.”
- Influencer spending in Nigeria is still less than 2 per cent of total digital ad spend, which means most brands are underinvesting or investing without a clear strategy.
The gap is not the money. The gap is the thinking.
The Shift Nigeria Must Make Before 2026
If brands want real results next year, they need to change how they approach influencer marketing. Start thinking in communities, not audiences. Nigerians follow creators they genuinely relate to, so if an influencer doesn’t reflect the lifestyle or identity of your target market, the impact will be weak.
Prioritise influence over popularity. Large followings may look impressive, but engagement is what drives real outcomes — sales, signups and loyalty.
Let influencers sound like Nigerians. Content rooted in real conversations, humour and culture resonates far more than polished scripts.
Measure success like a business. Track conversions, clicks and purchases — not likes. Vanity metrics won’t pay the bills.
And finally, build long-term partnerships. Nigerians trust influencers who show consistency. One post rarely changes anything — repeated advocacy does.
The Reality We Must Face
Nigeria will waste money in 2026 if brands keep treating influencers as human billboards. Influence today is grounded in trust and identity. It happens in communities, in shared stories, in the small truths of Nigerian life.
The brands that respect these truths will grow. The ones that ignore them will keep shouting into the void.
Influencer marketing is not losing relevance. It is becoming more real. The question is whether we will evolve with it or watch others take the lead.
Source: Legit.ng
