According to DataReportal, the country had 103 million internet users as of January 2024, and online retail sales continue to grow as more people gain access to affordable smartphones and digital payment systems.

However, while opportunity is expanding, so is competition. Thousands of small businesses now sell across Instagram, WhatsApp, and local marketplaces. For many, the challenge is no longer getting online, it’s standing out and building sustainable growth.

Below are six strategies that can help ecommerce entrepreneurs in Nigeria compete more effectively, connect with customers, and scale sustainably.

1. Focus on a niche, not the crowd

The internet offers endless reach, but success often lies in narrowing your focus. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, identify a specific audience whose needs you understand deeply, whether that’s fitness enthusiasts, new parents, or tech-savvy students.

Niche targeting allows you to tailor your message, pricing, and product experience. It also helps small businesses build loyalty and word-of-mouth credibility in markets where advertising budgets are limited.

2. Build relationships beyond social media

Social platforms are powerful but unpredictable. Algorithms change, engagement fluctuates, and visibility can vanish overnight. That’s why it’s essential to diversify how you stay connected with customers.

Email newsletters, community groups, or loyalty programs provide more direct and reliable touchpoints. Use these channels to share updates, answer questions, and offer genuine value—not just promotions. Consistent, thoughtful communication builds trust that outlasts social trends.

3. Use data to understand customer behaviour

Every click, search, and abandoned cart tells a story. Tracking customer behaviour—through analytics dashboards, feedback forms, or even simple observation—can reveal why shoppers drop off and what keeps them coming back.

For example, you might discover that most users exit your site during checkout due to limited payment options. Adding mobile money or bank transfer features could increase conversions immediately. Data-driven decisions help eliminate guesswork and improve user experience.

4. Create content that answers real questions

Many Nigerian shoppers research extensively before buying online, especially from lesser-known brands. Publishing clear, helpful content, such as FAQs, size guides, or product comparisons, can bridge the trust gap.

A small skincare brand, for example, could post educational pieces on ingredients and routines, while a gadget store could share short explainers on choosing the right devices. When people find answers through your content, they are more likely to view your business as credible and dependable.

5. Explore automation and AI for efficiency

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how small businesses operate globally, and Nigeria is no exception. From customer support chatbots to inventory management and personalized recommendations, automation can simplify repetitive work and improve decision-making.

Even basic AI tools can help analyse trends, spot buying patterns, and free up time for strategic tasks. The goal isn’t to replace human connection but to enhance it by focusing your energy where it matters most, understanding and serving your customers.

6. Build credibility through customer voices

Nigerians value peer opinions. Reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content often carry more weight than brand messaging. Encourage satisfied customers to share feedback or showcase how they use your products.

Displaying honest reviews on your website or social pages signals transparency and confidence. People are far more likely to trust a brand that others vouch for, especially in a marketplace crowded with new entrants.

Building for the long term

Sustainable ecommerce growth in Nigeria isn’t about chasing every new platform or pouring money into ads, it’s about clarity, consistency, and connection.

By focusing on real customer needs, learning from data, and building trust at every step, businesses can create lasting impact in one of Africa’s most dynamic digital markets.

• Etisalat Nigeria (2008–2017): Entered the market with strong youth-focused branding and rapid growth, peaking at over 23 million subscribers.
• 9mobile (2017–2025): Rebranded after Etisalat Group exited due to $1.2 billion debt. Struggled with declining subscriber base, infrastructure decay, and ownership instability.
• T2 (2025): A bold rebrand under Lighthouse Telecoms, signaling a digital-first transformation with ambitions to become leaner, smarter, and more customer-centric.
• In July 2025 the NCC approved a three-year national roaming agreement between MTN Nigeria and 9mobile (now T2), enabling T2 subscribers to use MTN’s network while T2 rebuilds/optimises coverage.

Will the rebrand cause market disruption?

My quick response to that is that major disruptions are unlikely, but industry observers should expect transitional friction.

Why?

The MTN-9mobile (now T2) national-roaming pact, NCC-approved, significantly reduces the risk of mass service outages for customers, because subscribers can fall back onto MTN’s nationwide footprint while T2 stabilises.

That arrangement is explicitly meant to prevent service gaps.

Also, market disruption to competitors (Airtel, MTN, Glo) will be minimal in the near term because they already operate at much larger scale; any short-term customer movements will be incremental.

However, localized service quality issues, billing glitches, or porting/branding confusion could produce customer complaints and temporary churn. T2 must address these with immediate effect.

The bottom line is that the roaming deal blunts immediate disruption, but execution risk such as network fires, customer service breakdowns can still create noise and short-term churn.

Can T2 woo back 9mobile’s lost subscribers?

This is very possible. T2 is already perceived as vibrant, and the name appears forward-thinking. However, the porting of subscribers back to Ts won’t be automatic. They need reassurance of consistency of network availability. In fact, the handlers understand they need to do a lot of ‘give-away’ (incentives).

Key considerations:

Branding alone won’t bring customers back. Subscribers left for reasons like poor coverage, dropped calls, poor data speeds, perceived instability, and billing/customer care issues.

A new name helps perception, but must be paired with tangible improvements.

Coverage and quality are the primary determinants of return. With roaming on MTN, T2 can promise better immediate coverage, that’s necessary but not sufficient.

Offers and trust-building (transparent tariffs, no-bait billing, simple retention bundles, easy SIM/number porting) will be required to persuade users to return.

Therefore, T2 can win back some subscribers, especially price-sensitive or loyalty-ready segments, but regaining meaningful scale requires sustained investment and service reliability over 6–18 months.

Key areas T2 should major on to regain investor & subscriber confidence

Actionable priorities (short → medium → long term):

• Short term (0–3 months)

Service continuity & communication: Use the MTN roaming window to guarantee coverage and proactively communicate to customers what has changed and why – FAQs, SMS alerts, customer care hours.

Transparent migration plan: Clear timelines for network restoration, SIM provisioning, and any service interruptions. Transparency reduces panic and regulatory scrutiny.

Retention offers: Immediate, generous data/voice bundles for existing customers and port-back incentives for former subscribers.

• Medium term (3–12 months)

Network investment & O&M: Recommission towers, prioritise high-traffic corridors and cities, and publish KPIs including latency, speed, dropped-call rates. Investors watch CAPEX and operational metrics.

Customer experience overhaul: Improve billing systems, complaint resolution SLAs, and digital self-service options like apps, USSD.

Partnerships: Strengthen wholesale/roaming, content, and fintech partnerships to create sticky services, bundled VAS, payments, education, OTT partnerships.

• Long term (12–36 months)

Corporate governance & transparency: Publish audited accounts, board composition, and recovery milestones. The NCC and investors favour demonstrable governance improvement.

Product differentiation: Focus on niche segments – SMEs, youth, rural connectivity, rather than trying to replicate MTN’s full stack immediately. Bring back the ‘youth vibes’ of the Etisalat days – campus storms, etc.

Sustainable business model: Prove average revenue per user (ARPU) improvement and churn reduction while controlling opex. Investors need a credible turn-around plan with milestones; subscribers need reliable service and fair pricing.

Is this a sign of recovery for the telecoms sector?

Well, partly. The rebrand and roaming pact are signals of pragmatic consolidation and collaboration, not necessarily a broad-sector boom.

The roaming deal and the rebrand indicate industry actors and the regulator are working to avoid failures and preserve consumer service, a healthy sign for systemic stability.

Why cautious?

The sector still faces structural issues such as high spectrum costs, legacy debt, CAPEX demands, and rising operating costs.

A single operator stabilising or rebranding is encouraging, but broader recovery requires improved ARPUs, investment flows, and policy stability. Let the gains of the tariff adjustments go round.

Subscribers demand or deserve improved quality of service; the government is expecting higher taxes, and the shareholders hope to smile to the banks hence the operator, often treated as the sacrificial lamb, must be protected at all costs; without them, the whole system collapses and everyone goes hungry.

The NCC’s recent corporate governance push suggests regulators are tightening standards, both a necessary improvement and a challenge for weaker players.

What role will the NCC play in T2’s survival?

NCC’s role is central. My expected actions from the NCC are in three fronts:

Facilitator of operational continuity: Approving roaming to prevent service outages (already done).

Regulatory oversight & compliance enforcement: The NCC’s corporate governance guidelines and spectrum oversight require T2 to comply on reporting, operational integrity, and consumer protection; non-compliance could lead to sanctions or loss of privileges.

Market stability measures: The regulator can encourage industry collaboration (number pooling, shared infrastructure), mediate disputes (interconnect, roaming fees), and influence the environment for investor confidence (clear rules, predictable enforcement).

NCC’s posture will likely be supportive but watchful, approving short-term measures like roaming while insisting on governance and recovery milestones.

Is the roaming arrangement with MTN working out successfully?

I think early evidence is promising but incomplete. Reports suggest operational roaming is active in many areas; other commentary suggests 9mobile (now T2) base stations were not fully active at the time the deal took effect, which would make roaming essential.

Those reports are mixed and partly anecdotal.  What matters for “success” are seamless handoffs, consistent QoS, correct billing settlement, and clear customer communication.

If MTN and T2 resolve these without frequent dropped sessions or billing errors, the arrangement will be judged successful. If customers face degraded experience or confusing charges, the reputational damage could be high.

So, the framework is the right one and reduces immediate risk, but the real test will be operational KPIs and customers’ actual experience over the next 3–6 months.

Quick risk checklist: What to watch this quarter

• Clarity (or lack) on T2’s funding plan for CAPEX and debt servicing.
• MTN’s commercial terms. If roaming is priced poorly for T2, sustainability will be strained.

Recommended immediate communications/PR points for T2

With the rebranding comes more pressure on the communications team. Publish a one-page recovery timeline with measurable milestones.

Also run an SMS/call campaign explaining roaming, what customers should expect, and a helpline for issues.

Launch a “welcome back” package for former 9mobile, sorry T2, customers. Make it simple, no-surprises bundles.

Commit to monthly public KPI updates for three quarters – coverage %, average speeds, complaints resolved – to rebuild investor trust. Make sure your (accurate) data are updated on NCC’s Industry Statistics Page.

At the end, T2’s success hinges on execution, transparency, and innovation. If it can deliver a superior digital experience, rebuild trust, and stay lean, it could become Nigeria’s most agile telecom player. But the road is steep, and the market is unforgiving.