WhatsApp has rolled out 'Power your hustle with WhatsApp Business', a three-week campaign celebrating Nigerian small business owners and the everyday hustle behind their ventures.

The campaign follows three small businesses in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja, telling the stories of the people behind them, the journeys that shaped their businesses, and how the WhatsApp Business app helps them connect with customers and grow.

Related: WhatsApp to introduce costly new fees for Nigerian Businesses starting October 1

The spotlight comes as WhatsApp has become a mainstream commerce channel for Nigerian small businesses, where millions of micro, small and medium enterprises form the backbone of the economy and many operate primarily through social and messaging platforms rather than formal storefronts or websites.

The businesses featured in the campaign include:

Edibles by Lera Ipapanu (Lagos): A snack brand reviving local snacks many people grew up loving, with modern packaging and convenient delivery. Founder Mosumola Oladoye says, "WhatsApp Business is the digital storefront of Edibles by Lera Ipapanu. One feature I love is the Catalog, because customers can browse our products, see prices and check available sizes."

FHR Spices (Ibadan): FHR Spices is a Nigerian natural food seasoning brand based in Ibadan, Oyo State, making healthy eating simple and enjoyable through carefully selected herbs and spices without artificial additives or preservatives. Founder Aminat Akinyemi says, "WhatsApp Business has become one of our most powerful tools for building relationships and driving sales. While I am busy in production, the Meta Business Agent knows my product like I do, and it answers customer's questions in a way that feels personal."

Twinny's Kitchen (Abuja): Twinny's Kitchen is a food processing company based in Abuja, producing high-quality, hygienically processed and packaged African food products for customers across Nigeria and the diaspora. Founder Augustina Onoriode says, "WhatsApp Business has helped me transform customer conversations into lasting relationships and it has become the biggest driver of Twinny's Kitchen's growth. With Lists, I organise my customers into groups like New orders, Follow up, Pending orders and Waybill."

As their businesses have evolved, WhatsApp Business has become part of how the three founders chat with customers and run their day-to-day operations. All three are using the recently announced Meta Business Agent, a new AI-powered assistant in the WhatsApp Business app. It can answer customer questions, recommend products, and help move a sale along when an owner cannot get to their phone.

The campaign also illustrates how Meta is positioning AI tools for small businesses in African markets, where owners often juggle production and customer service single-handedly and automated assistance is being marketed as a way to bridge that gap.

Speaking about the campaign, Oluwasola Obagbemi, Head of Communications, Sub-Saharan Africa, Meta, said: "WhatsApp continues to be an important part of how business gets done in Nigeria, and we're seeing business owners use it for far more than just messaging. The founders we're spotlighting are finding new customers, answering questions quickly and making sales. With Meta Business Agent, business owners now have AI working alongside them, and we look forward to seeing how they use it to power their hustle."

The stories of the three entrepreneurs will be told through documentary-style "day in the life" videos capturing the realities of running their businesses, featured across the Meta Africa Facebook page and WhatsApp for Business' social channels.

A virtual masterclass will also bring together small business owners from across Nigeria for practical guidance on using WhatsApp Business tools, including the Meta Business Agent and ads that click to WhatsApp. More details are available on the Meta Africa Facebook page.