WhatsApp Launches ‘Power Your Hustle’ Campaign to Support Nigerian Small Businesses

WhatsApp has launched a three-week campaign in Nigeria highlighting how small businesses are using its Business app to attract customers, manage orders and drive sales.

Called “Power Your Hustle with WhatsApp Business,” the campaign follows three entrepreneurs in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja, documenting how they have built their businesses and incorporated WhatsApp into their daily operations. The initiative also highlights Meta Business Agent, an AI-powered assistant recently introduced in the WhatsApp Business app.

The businesses featured are Edibles by Lera Ipapanu in Lagos, FHR Spices in Ibadan and Twinny’s Kitchen in Abuja.

At Edibles by Lera Ipapanu, founder Mosumola Oladoye runs a snack business focused on traditional Nigerian treats, combining familiar products with modern packaging and delivery. She describes WhatsApp Business as the company’s “digital storefront”, particularly because its Catalogue feature allows customers to browse products, prices and available sizes before ordering.

In Ibadan, FHR Spices, founded by Aminat Akinyemi, produces natural food seasonings using herbs and spices without artificial additives or preservatives. Akinyemi says WhatsApp has become an important channel for building customer relationships and generating sales, while Meta Business Agent helps respond to customer questions when she is busy with production.

The third business, Twinny’s Kitchen, is an Abuja-based food processing company founded by Augustina Onoriode. It produces and packages African food products for customers in Nigeria and the diaspora. Onoriode uses WhatsApp Business Lists to organise customers by stages such as new orders, follow-ups, pending orders and waybills, helping her manage customer relationships as the business grows.

AI Joins the Customer Conversation

A major focus of the campaign is Meta Business Agent, which WhatsApp says can help business owners handle customer interactions when they are unavailable.

The AI assistant can answer questions about a business, recommend products and help move customers towards a purchase. Business owners can provide information about their products, prices and frequently asked questions so the agent can respond using business-specific information.

For small businesses where the owner often handles production, sales, marketing and customer service alone, the technology is designed to take care of routine enquiries while the entrepreneur focuses on other parts of the business.

Oluwasola Obagbemi, Meta’s head of communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the entrepreneurs featured in the campaign are using WhatsApp for more than messaging, including finding customers, answering enquiries and making sales.

Campaign Will Include Training

The campaign will feature documentary-style “day in the life” videos following the three entrepreneurs and showing the realities of running their businesses. The videos will be distributed through Meta Africa’s Facebook page and WhatsApp for Business’ social channels.

WhatsApp will also host a virtual masterclass for small business owners across Nigeria. The training will cover practical ways to use WhatsApp Business tools, including Meta Business Agent and ads that click directly to WhatsApp.

The campaign comes as WhatsApp increasingly positions its Business app as more than a messaging platform, with tools aimed at helping small businesses discover customers, manage conversations and convert those interactions into sales.