In the direct-selling industry, reputation is the most volatile currency. Facing a history of “brand misuse” and regulatory skepticism in Sub-Saharan Africa, QNET has officially launched its 2026 strategic agenda, doubling down on transparency, compliance, and proactive narrative building.
During a New Year media session themed “Setting the Narrative for the Year,” leadership from the wellness and lifestyle giant outlined a shift from reactive damage control to a fact-based “Contribution Model.”
The goal for 2026? To move the needle from speculation to clarity in its most critical growth market: Nigeria.
The Three Pillars of the QNET 2026 Strategy
Ayokunmi Solesi, general manager of QNET Nigeria, identified three technical pillars that will define the company’s “Energised Every Day” theme for the fiscal year:
Entrepreneurship Development: Positioning direct selling as a viable economic engine in markets with high informal employment.
Compliance & Consumer Protection: Establishing a “zero-tolerance” policy for fraudulent recruitment and unauthorized brand representation.
Wellness Product Innovation: Leveraging research-driven solutions to meet the rising consumer demand for preventative healthcare.
Addressing the ‘Brand Misuse’ Deficit
A significant portion of the roadmap focuses on Legal and Regulatory Alignment. Kwasi Fredua Agyeman Danso, QNET’s regional legal counsel, emphasized that the company’s 2026 success is tied to its ability to differentiate legitimate direct selling from the “misunderstandings” that often plague the sector.
The strategy involves a “transparency loop” where journalists participate in international conventions and product education expos.
This is designed to create a verifiable audit trail of the company’s operations, ensuring that regulators and consumers can distinguish between official QNET opportunities and rogue actors.
“Strict adherence to regulatory frameworks and zero tolerance for brand misuse… remain non-negotiable,” Solesi stated, reinforcing that Nigeria is the “critical growth market” where these standards will be most rigorously tested.
From Controversy to Contribution
Reflecting on 2025, Cherif Bassirou Abdoulaye Sarr, the deputy regional general manager, noted that collaborative media efforts have already begun to move the conversation toward QNET’s actual economic impact.
By prioritizing “fact-based engagement,” the company aims to build what Solesi calls a “Proactive Narrative.”
The Governance Challenge in Direct Selling
For QNET, 2026 is a “Foundational Infrastructure” year. QNET is attempting to build a Digital Trust System within a business model that has historically operated in a regulatory grey area.
By integrating KYC (Know Your Customer) and KYB (Know Your Business) principles into their recruitment and distribution channels, QNET is attempting to professionalize its independent representative (IR) network.
In a market like Nigeria, where the informal economy is the primary employer, the success of this “Ethical Entrepreneurship” model depends entirely on the company’s ability to enforce its compliance protocols at the “last mile” of recruitment.
