WhatsApp has launched a three-week campaign highlighting how Nigerian small and medium-sized businesses are using its WhatsApp Business platform to attract customers, manage orders and expand sales.
The “Power Your Hustle with WhatsApp Business” campaign, launched on September 7, 2026, follows three entrepreneurs operating businesses in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja, showcasing their experiences and how digital tools are becoming increasingly important to the day-to-day running of small businesses.
The businesses featured are Edibles by Lera Ipapanu, a Lagos-based snack brand; FHR Spices, a natural food seasoning company in Ibadan; and Twinny’s Kitchen, an Abuja-based food-processing business supplying customers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
The campaign comes as Nigerian small businesses increasingly turn to digital platforms to reach consumers, manage customer relationships and drive sales without relying solely on physical storefronts.
WhatsApp Business becomes digital storefront for SMEs
For Edibles by Lera Ipapanu founder Mosumola Oladoye, WhatsApp Business has effectively become a digital storefront for the snack company, which combines traditional Nigerian snacks with modern packaging and delivery services.
Oladoye said the platform’s catalogue feature allows customers to view products, prices and available sizes before placing orders.
“WhatsApp Business is the digital storefront of Edibles by Lera Ipapanu,” she said, highlighting the catalogue as one of the features most useful to her business.
In Ibadan, FHR Spices founder Aminat Akinyemi said WhatsApp Business has become an important channel for customer engagement and sales for her natural seasoning company.
The business produces food seasonings from selected herbs and spices without artificial additives or preservatives.
Akinyemi said the platform’s recently introduced Meta Business Agent has helped the company respond to customer enquiries while she focuses on production.
The AI-powered assistant can respond to customer questions, recommend products and support the sales process when business owners are unavailable to respond directly.
AI enters everyday operations of Nigerian small businesses
For Twinny’s Kitchen, founder Augustina Onoriode said WhatsApp Business has helped the company convert customer interactions into longer-term relationships.
The Abuja-based food-processing company produces packaged African food products for consumers in Nigeria and overseas.
Onoriode said the platform’s customer-management tools help her organise orders and follow-ups, including categories such as new orders, pending orders and shipments.
The three entrepreneurs featured in the campaign are also using Meta Business Agent, underscoring the growing role of artificial intelligence in routine SME operations such as customer service, product recommendations and sales engagement.
Meta targets Nigeria’s growing digital business economy
Oluwasola Obagbemi, Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa at Meta, said Nigerian businesses were increasingly using WhatsApp for functions that extend beyond conventional messaging.
“WhatsApp continues to be an important part of how business gets done in Nigeria, and we’re seeing business owners use it for far more than just messaging,” Obagbemi said.
According to Meta, the entrepreneurs featured in the campaign are using WhatsApp Business to reach new customers, respond to enquiries and convert conversations into sales.
“With Meta Business Agent, business owners now have AI working alongside them, and we look forward to seeing how they use it to power their hustle,” Obagbemi said.
The campaign will feature documentary-style “day in the life” videos showing the entrepreneurs managing their businesses and interacting with customers. The content will be distributed through Meta Africa’s Facebook page and WhatsApp for Business social media channels.
A virtual masterclass is also planned for small business owners across Nigeria, with sessions covering WhatsApp Business tools, including Meta Business Agent and ads that click to WhatsApp.
The initiative highlights the growing intersection of social messaging, artificial intelligence and digital commerce in Nigeria, where small businesses are increasingly using mobile-first platforms to reach customers, process orders and build brands beyond their immediate physical locations.