Innovation and Technology Policy Adviser, Jide Awe, has advised Nigerian businesses to build resilient digital operations and avoid becoming completely dependent on a single foreign-owned digital platform.

Mr Awe gave the advice on Wednesday during an interview following Meta’s decision to charge certain messages on the WhatsApp Business platforms.

The new pricing structure was expected to charge businesses using the WhatsApp business platforms for certain categories of messages sent to customers from October 1, 2026.

The charges apply mainly to organisations using the WhatsApp business platforms, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to manage customer communications at scale.

Regular WhatsApp users and many small businesses using the standard WhatsApp business applications would not be the primary targets of the new charges.

Mr Awe said that Meta’s pricing shift should serve as a driver for greater digital maturity among Nigerian enterprises.

According to him, businesses must structure their operations in ways that will enable them to remain resilient and avoid being locked into a single external vendor.

“Meta’s pricing shift serves as a driver for digital maturity. It reminds Nigerian business leaders to structure their core operations so they remain resilient and never completely locked into a single external vendor,” he said.

Mr Awe said the development should be examined beyond the immediate concern of an additional cost, considering the growing role of digital platforms in the operations of Nigerian businesses.

He stated that technology had evolved from being something many local enterprises struggled to access into an essential component of everyday business activities.

According to him, customers can now discover businesses online, make enquiries through WhatsApp, receive quotations, complete payments and coordinate deliveries without physical interaction.

“For a vast number of Nigerian small and medium enterprises, WhatsApp has essentially become core operational infrastructure,” he said.

Mr Awe said the development underscored the significance of Meta’s decision.

He said it raised broader questions about the increasing dependence of local businesses on third-party digital channels owned and controlled by foreign entities.

He noted that while technology had continued to improve quality of life, create jobs and boost productivity, businesses must also think strategically about who controlled the digital infrastructure they relied on.

“When the platform owner can unilaterally change the rules, the financial impact can be immediate.

“For a small Nigerian enterprise operating on tight budgets, additional per-message fees can quickly become a heavy financial burden,” he said.

Mr Awe, however, said the appropriate response was not for businesses to abandon WhatsApp, considering the platform’s immense value in the Nigerian market.

According to him, organisations should also evaluate the types of messages that generate meaningful value, since not every message sent translates into a qualified inquiry or direct revenue.

“Businesses need to prioritise high-value interactions over non-essential exchanges,” he said.

The expert urged enterprises to build internal capacity to understand platform pricing structures, operational risks and system limitations.
(NAN)