Africa’s Out-of-Home industry: The growth is research

…Nigeria takes a bold step

For years, some players in Nigeria and the rest of Africa’s Out of Home advertising industry have operated in a manner described by an analyst as winking in the dark as there has not been a comprehensive independent study “focused on understanding OOH audience penetration, consumer engagement, movement patterns, audience behavior, and industry market realities in Nigeria”.

The absence of a comprehensive industry research to effectively demonstrate its value and reach to stakeholders, investors, and advertisers has clearly cost the industry billions in potential investments, although analysts are yet to quantify the full scale of the missed opportunities.

Out of-Home advertising which has since evolved started in 1928 during the colonial era in Nigeria.

It is said that the industry with multibillion static and electronic billboards that doted across cities, has been relying on assumptions, estimates, or fragmented data even when the media landscape is evolving rapidly.

Though, there could be individual firm’s studies to guide their operations but the analyst agrees that absence of industry-wide credible research and data-driven insights has prevented the sector from fully attracting investors, multinational advertisers and international recognition.

As “consumer attention is changing. Technology is transforming audience engagement. Cities are becoming smarter and more connected. Therefore, the OOH industry itself must also evolve through knowledge, intelligence, and credible data,”, says Kingsley Onwukeme, Founder OOH Academy/ Convener LOMA Awards.

Kingsley Onwukeme who believes that the growth of Out of Home industry anywhere is based on research is therefore changing the paradigm as he has commissioned comprehensive research designed to provide deeper insight into the industry.

The research to be conducted in 10 weeks through quantitative and qualitative methods will not only promote the value of the industry but enable operators , advertisers and investors to understand OOH consumer penetration across Nigeria; provide deeper insights on audience behavior and mobility patterns.

It will also enable understanding of consumer interaction with Out-of-Home media; Media effectiveness and visibility; Market intelligence and industry insights; Industry spend analysis from preceding years; and Emerging opportunities shaping the future of the OOH sector.

Kingsley told BusinessDay that the research when completed will to help build a more transparent, credible, measurable, and trusted OOH industry driven by facts, research, and intelligence.

He said the final report and findings will officially be presented during the fourth edition of the Location Marketing (LOMA) Conference and Awards coming up this September, and copies of the report will be circulated to industry stakeholders to support better decision-making and industry advancement.

He noted that key industry bodies including: Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN); Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN); and Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) are aware of the research initiative and its importance to the future development of the industry.

To ensure the credibility, transparency, and professional quality of the study to be conducted by The Research Brooks, Onwukeme, said a team of experienced oversight committee has been established made up of respected industry professionals and research experts.

They include: Emmanuel Adediran, Business Unit Lead at Plus Acuity; Ikechukwu Ogbonna, who previously worked with Kantar and also served as Head of Consumer Research at Dentsu Nigeria; and Felix Ehikhuemen, a founding member of the African OOH Congress.

The research was described by Emmanual Adediran as capable of repositioning the industry for investment. Adediran said the out-of-home industry has remained an industry that has so much potential but is limited due to lack of data.

Believing that there will be a lot of investments and focus on media channels in 2026 and 2027, Adediran who spoke during the official commissioning of the research in Lagos recently said it behooves on the industry to provide accurate, timely, and consistent data to back decision making and investments on out-of-home. At the venue, Felix Ehikhuemen also said the research in Nigeria is long overdue.