OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, has expanded its advertising platform to Nigeria, giving local businesses access to a new channel for reaching consumers as they use AI tools to research products, compare services and make purchasing decisions.
The expansion forms part of a wider rollout across 26 additional countries, bringing the number of markets where ChatGPT advertising is available to 89 worldwide, according to the company.
The move allows Nigerian advertisers to explore opportunities to promote their products and services within ChatGPT conversations, where users seek information, evaluate alternatives and refine their choices based on personal needs and preferences.
OpenAI said advertisers in the newly added markets can access the platform through technology partners or directly through its self-service Ads Manager.
The company said more than 100,000 advertisers had run campaigns on ChatGPT since advertising was introduced just over eight months ago. The expansion also covers additional markets across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, including South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
According to OpenAI, the advertising platform is designed to help businesses reach consumers at the point when they are exploring options rather than relying solely on conventional search or social media advertising.
For instance, a user seeking meal plans for marathon training could receive an advertisement for a grocery delivery service relevant to their dietary preferences and cooking schedule. The company said this approach could help local businesses, regional brands and international companies introduce their offerings to potential customers during product discovery.
The development comes as businesses increasingly explore how generative AI could influence consumer behaviour, digital marketing and online commerce. For Nigerian companies, the availability of ChatGPT advertising could create another avenue for customer acquisition, particularly as consumers use conversational AI tools to seek recommendations and compare products.
OpenAI’s advertising guidelines list a minimum daily budget of $25 for campaigns billed in US dollars, equivalent to approximately ₦33,275 at an exchange rate of ₦1,331 to the dollar. However, the company says minimum campaign budgets vary by market and billing currency, and it has not specified the applicable minimum for Nigerian advertisers.
The company said advertising is intended to support continued access to ChatGPT, including free and lower-cost subscription options. Advertisements will appear only on the Free and Go plans, while Plus, Pro and Enterprise subscriptions will remain ad-free.
OpenAI also said its advertising model would keep users’ conversations private from advertisers and that it would not sell customer data.
Advertisements will be clearly labelled and displayed separately from ChatGPT’s responses, with the company maintaining that commercial placements will not influence the answers generated by the chatbot.
The company said it would continue developing additional advertising formats, campaign objectives, purchasing options and measurement capabilities as the platform expands into more markets.
It is also exploring ways for businesses to interact with consumers more naturally within ChatGPT, a development that could broaden the role of conversational AI in product discovery and digital commerce.
