• Tizeti tests ad-funded internet model offering free data for ads

• Users watch short ads to receive data on public Wi-Fi

• Service targets over 2.5 million users in Nigeria and Ghana

West African internet service provider Tizeti Network Limited is testing a business model that expands connectivity by offering free data in exchange for watching advertisements.

The company, which operates in Nigeria and Ghana, has launched an ad-funded internet platform that gives users complimentary data after viewing promotional content.

The service is available across Tizeti’s network of public Wi-Fi hotspots in the two countries. The process is simple: users connected to a hotspot watch a short video advertisement and immediately receive free data. Users can repeat the process to extend their session without paying.

“By rolling out reward-based internet access across Nigeria and Ghana, we are expanding connectivity without financial barriers while offering brands a platform to reach more than 2.5 million active users,” said Nsikak Asuquo, Tizeti’s Director for West Africa.

To support the initiative, Tizeti has integrated Google’s advertising platform, allowing brands to run campaigns targeting users connected to its hotspots. Advertisers can reach local audiences through an opt-in format in which users choose to watch ads in exchange for connectivity.

The initiative is part of Tizeti’s effort to diversify how it funds its infrastructure. In many African countries, the cost of data remains a major barrier to internet access. By integrating advertising into its business model, the company aims to reduce that barrier while creating new revenue streams.

However, data remains relatively expensive in West Africa. According to DataHub, a platform managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a 5-GB mobile data package in Nigeria and Ghana represents 1.56% and 3.06% of monthly gross national income per capita respectively as of 2025. The ITU considers internet affordable when this share remains below 2%.

Adoni Conrad Quenum