Why Nigerian Tech Startups Have Quietly Ghosted Big Brother Naija

There was a time…

Big Brother Naija was the hottest billboard money could buy.
And tech startups were first in line—flooding the house with logos, QR codes, jollof tasks, and “scan to win” missions.

In those golden years, we saw:

• Abeg (now Pocket by PiggyVest) – Headline sponsor in 2021

• Patricia – Crypto buzz merchant turned giveaway machine

• Flutterwave – In-app tasks, house activations, even shoutouts

• Boomplay, Kuda, and the others in between

But this year, Season 10 dropped… and tech was nowhere to be found.

No banners.
No backdrops.
No founders tweeting excitement.
Just vibes and FMCGs.

So what happened?

1. Some of Them Don’t Exist Anymore (Or Are “Rebranding” in Shame)

Let’s talk facts:

• Patricia — once the golden crypto child of Nigerian Twitter, now struggling with investors unpaid, operations frozen, and a CEO posting riddles on Instagram

• Abeg — did the loudest BBNaija entry ever, then pivoted, then rebranded, then vanished from marketing relevance

• Other mid-level players — couldn’t sustain the attention once the show ended

Lesson?
BBNaija gives you visibility. But if you don’t have a real product engine, you’ll trend today and crash tomorrow.

2. Sponsoring BBNaija Is Not Pocket-Friendly (Pun Intended)

Let’s be clear:
Headline sponsorship = ₦2–3 billion minimum.
Even secondary partnerships run into hundreds of millions.

For many startups running on investor funding, that’s money better used for:

• Hiring

• Tech infrastructure

• Scaling customer service (which they rarely do)

• Or, you know… surviving

After the hype fades and the downloads plateau, you realize:

“We didn’t sponsor BBNaija. We sponsored dopamine.”

3. Founders Are Waking Up: Clout ≠ Product-Market Fit

Back then, the playbook was:

1. Sponsor BBNaija

2. Buy followers

3. Hire influencers

4. Get press

5. Raise money

Now?

READ ALSO: Why BBNaija Is Not A Marketing strategy

• Investors are asking “What’s your burn rate?”

• Customers want real value, not housemates shouting your app name during a task

• Founders are scared of becoming the next Patricia

There’s a reputation tax now.
People remember how you entered the house.
They also remember how you exited real life.

4. BBNaija Audiences Don’t Always Convert

Say what you want, but:

• BBNaija is great for awareness

• But terrible for retention if your product isn’t sticky

A Gen Z viewer might download your app during the show.
But by week 7? They’ve deleted it for space.
By week 10? They don’t even remember what the app did.

If your product can’t deliver beyond the ad, you’ve just done a ₦500M brand awareness exercise with no backend.

So, Should Tech Ever Sponsor BBNaija Again?

Yes — but only if:

• Your product has mass market utility

• Your backend can handle the spike

• You have a follow-up campaign plan for after the finale

• You’re not just doing it to “look big” on Twitter

In short:
Don’t sponsor BBNaija to feel like Flutterwave. Sponsor it when you think like Innoson.
Solid. Scalable. Ready.

TL;DR?

Tech founders have learned the hard way:
BBNaija is not a growth strategy. It’s just a loud speaker. If your business is noise-sensitive, stay away.

The SoroSoke Brand Tip:

Don’t use BBNaija to cover product confusion.
Use it to amplify clarity.

Over to You:
Which brand do you miss seeing on BBNaija?
And which one do you hope never returns?

Tell us at @SoroSokeBrands.
We don’t sponsor the show, but we analyze who should.