Google has introduced new AI-powered advertising tools to help Nigerian businesses better track their online ads, improve campaign performance, and prepare for Black Friday shopping. The tools were announced by Google Director for East and West Africa Olumide Balogun at an event in Lagos. The new features are designed to help businesses optimize their online advertising and make smarter decisions about their ad spend.
One of the key updates is a new reporting dashboard that combines customer searches, ads viewed, and landing pages into a single screen. This will make it easier for businesses to see how their advertising is performing and make data-driven decisions. The dashboard was first showcased at DMEXCO 2026 in Cologne, Germany, and will begin rolling out globally, including Nigeria, later this year.
Google is also expanding AI Brief, a tool that allows businesses to control their ad campaigns using plain-language instructions. This means that advertisers can simply type instructions in everyday language, rather than dealing with complicated settings. For example, a business owner can tell the system not to display prices, focus on certain search terms, or promote special offers only to selected groups of customers.
In addition to the new reporting dashboard and AI Brief, Google has also announced that ads will now appear around AI Overviews in more than 200 countries, including Nigeria. AI Overviews are Google's AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of many search results, and businesses now have more opportunities to get their ads seen even as search continues to evolve.
With Nigeria's Black Friday shopping season fast approaching, Balogun encouraged businesses not to wait until the last minute before setting up their campaigns. He said that now is the time for businesses to set up their peak-season campaigns, and that every naira spent on advertising should deliver better results.
According to Google Vice-President of Global Ads Dan Taylor, AI is changing how people search online. Searches made through Google's AI Mode are now three times longer than traditional searches, while one in every six searches happens through voice or images. He also noted that AI Max, which launched in 2025, has already been adopted by about 500,000 advertisers worldwide.
Google says that businesses using AI Max have recorded 27 per cent more conversions, including sales and enquiries, while maintaining similar advertising costs. However, Taylor clarified that those figures represent global performance data and are not specific to Nigeria. The new AI-powered advertising tools are expected to help Nigerian businesses optimize their online advertising and prepare for the busy shopping season ahead.
Key points
- Google launches AI-powered reporting dashboard to help Nigerian businesses track online ads.
- AI Brief allows businesses to control ad campaigns using plain-language instructions.
- Ads will now appear around AI Overviews in more than 200 countries, including Nigeria.
