SquirrelPR unveils RANKED 2026 report as AI reshapes media influence in Nigeria

Nigeria’s digital media industry recorded a sharp decline in audience traffic in 2025, as artificial intelligence continues to reshape how users access and consume news, according to the newly released RANKED 2026 Report by SquirrelPR.

The report shows that total readership across Nigerian digital platforms dropped by 26.2 percent year-on-year to 769 million visits in 2025, down from over 1.04 billion in 2024, marking one of the most significant structural shifts in the country’s media landscape in recent years.

Rather than signalling declining relevance, the report attributes the drop to a fundamental change in user behaviour driven by AI-powered search systems, which increasingly provide direct answers to queries without requiring users to visit publisher websites.

“The old model of digital media was built on clicks. That model is breaking down,” said Jonah Solomon. “Today, influence is defined by authority, trust, and the ability to shape conversations—even when users don’t click through.”

Industry stakeholders say the shift reflects a broader evolution in how media influence is created and measured. Speaking at the report’s launch, Keni Akintoye noted that audience engagement is increasingly detached from traditional traffic metrics.

“People are still consuming content, but increasingly without arriving at the source. In that reality, traffic is no longer a complete measure of relevance. Trust is,” he said.

The report highlights that media platforms are gradually transitioning from destination websites to foundational sources within a wider information ecosystem, where credibility determines whether content is surfaced, referenced, and amplified by AI systems.

As a result, domain authority and editorial credibility are emerging as more critical indicators of influence, particularly as high-authority platforms continue to dominate visibility in AI-driven discovery environments.

Sectoral performance across the media landscape remains uneven. Legacy news organisations continue to command the largest share of traffic and play a central role in feeding search and AI systems. However, niche business media platforms are gaining ground with more targeted, insight-driven reporting.

Technology-focused platforms appear to be under the greatest pressure from AI summarisation tools, while entertainment and lifestyle platforms have shown relative resilience, supported by their cultural relevance and engagement-driven content formats.

Panel discussions at the launch event reinforced the industry’s shift away from volume-based metrics. Muyiwa Matuluko said media organisations must prioritise depth and relevance over scale, while Rasheed Bolarinwa noted that brands are placing greater emphasis on trust, conversion, and audience quality.

From the newsroom perspective, Olufemi Ajasa stressed that credibility and quality journalism remain central to sustaining relevance, even as distribution models evolve. Communications professional Damilola Bright-Ukwenga pointed to the growing influence of creators and micro-influencers in shaping public narratives.

Moderating the session, Ifeanyi Abraham described the ongoing transformation as “seismic,” urging media organisations and brands to reposition for resilience in a rapidly changing information environment.

The report concludes that traffic alone is no longer a sufficient measure of performance, calling for a more strategic, authority-led approach to media visibility and public relations.

“PR can no longer be guesswork. You need data to understand which platforms truly shape perception,” Solomon added.

As part of its broader push into data-driven communications, SquirrelPR also introduced new tools, including an AI-powered PR management platform and a media monitoring and social listening solution, aimed at helping organisations better navigate the evolving media ecosystem.

Overall, the report frames Nigeria’s digital media landscape not as declining, but as undergoing a transition into a more complex, AI-mediated system where trust, credibility, and influence are becoming the primary currencies of relevance.