E-commerce · Nigeria
AI for e-commerce in Nigeria, for online sellers and social shops
AI for e-commerce in Nigeria is mostly about the same ten messages: is this available, how much to Abuja, do you do pay on delivery, where is my order. We set up assistants that answer those from your own product list, draft product descriptions and keep orders in one sheet. What AI must not do is decide a customer has paid.
From £395 (about $520)
Based in the UK, working by video with businesses in Nigeria. Lagos is on UK time in winter and one hour ahead in summer.
The messages that fill a seller's day
- "Is this available?"Under every Instagram post and TikTok video, then again on WhatsApp, often for an item that sold out yesterday.
- "How much to Port Harcourt?"Delivery prices differ for Lagos mainland, the Island and other states, and the person replying looks them up every time.
- "I've paid, check it"A screenshot arrives and someone has to log in to the bank app to see whether the money is really there.
- "Where is my order?"Tracking numbers from the courier, copied by hand into each chat.
- Listings and captionsProduct descriptions for Jumia, Instagram captions and a Shopify page for the same item, each written from scratch.
WhatsApp order automation in Nigeria: what AI does and what you keep
A split we would suggest for a small online shop. Your own rules may move some lines.
| Task | AI does | A person does |
|---|---|---|
| Availability and price | Answers from your stock sheet, including sizes and colours | Updates the sheet when stock changes |
| Delivery cost and time | Quotes from your delivery price table by area and state | Sets the table and handles odd addresses |
| Taking the order | Collects item, size, name, phone and address, and writes one row in the order sheet | Checks unusual or bulk orders |
| Payment | Sends your Paystack or Flutterwave payment link, or your account details | Confirms the money in the gateway or bank dashboard before dispatch |
| Complaints and refunds | Logs the complaint and alerts you at once | Decides every refund and replacement |
Fake payment alerts: why a person confirms every payment
Fake transfer alerts are an everyday risk for Nigerian sellers. In May 2026 police in Edo State arrested a man accused of buying goods from Benin City traders using fake transfer notifications made with a modified banking app; one shop said it lost two bags of rice worth ₦150,000 (BusinessDay, May 2026). NIBSS reported that digital payment fraud losses fell to ₦25.85 billion in 2025, with social engineering and insider abuse named as the main threats (Techeconomy, reporting NIBSS).
A screenshot proves nothing, and an AI reading a screenshot proves even less. So in anything we build, the assistant does not mark an order as paid. It sends the payment link, tells the customer a person will confirm, and alerts whoever checks the Paystack, Flutterwave or bank dashboard. Payment links help here: the gateway records the payment against the order, so there is nothing to forge.
Fees matter on small orders too. Paystack's local fee is 1.5% plus ₦100, with the ₦100 dropped on payments under ₦2,500 and the total capped at ₦2,000 (Paystack, checked October 2026).
One order, from Instagram DM to delivery
-
Sunday, 9.20pm
Ngozi in Enugu sees a reel of your ankara two-piece and sends a DM: 'Price and do you have size 14?' Your Instagram reply points her to WhatsApp, where the assistant has your stock sheet. -
Price, size and delivery
It gives the price, confirms size 14 in two colours and quotes delivery to Enugu from your price table. -
Order taken
Ngozi picks the green one. The assistant asks for her name, phone and delivery address, reads them back, and adds a row to your order sheet marked 'awaiting payment'. -
Payment link, not a screenshot
It sends your Paystack link for the exact total. When she replies 'paid' with a screenshot, it thanks her and says the team will confirm shortly. -
Monday, 8am
Your assistant manager checks the Paystack dashboard, sees the payment, marks the row paid and books the pickup with your courier. -
Tracking sent
Once the waybill number is in the sheet, the assistant drafts Ngozi's tracking update for your manager to send.
AI product descriptions for Jumia sellers, and the rules on claims
Given a spreadsheet with item name, material, size, colour and price, AI can draft a Jumia description, an Instagram caption and a Shopify page in one go, each in the right length and tone. Jumia reviews new listings before they go live, and regulated products need their registration details, so a person still checks each one.
The checking matters because of the law. Section 123 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 bars traders from making representations to consumers that are false, misleading or deceptive, including about quantity or price. In November 2025 the FCCPC sealed Kano warehouses of textile distributors selling short-length fabric at full price (FCCPC, November 2025). An AI that adds '100% original' or '6 yards' because it sounds good creates exactly that risk. We also don't write reviews in customers' names.
For marketing, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 needs a lawful basis such as consent before you broadcast offers, and people can object to direct marketing at any time. So broadcasts go only to customers who opted in, and 'stop' is honoured straight away. Not legal advice.
Instagram DM automation in Lagos, and the other tools you use
Business accounts can be set up to send an automatic first reply to DMs. We use that to move buyers to one WhatsApp number, so orders are not scattered across apps.
WhatsApp Business
The free app is fine for a single phone. Several staff on one number, or AI replies, need the WhatsApp Business Platform, which has its own fees.
WhatsApp chatbot cost in NigeriaCouriers
GIG Logistics, for example, offers payment on delivery and API integration for online sellers. Where your courier has no API, the tracking number goes into the sheet by hand and the assistant takes it from there.
Your own store
Shopify, a Paystack storefront or a WooCommerce site can have a product assistant that answers from the same stock sheet.
Website AI assistantWhat it costs
Prices in pounds, invoiced and payable by international bank transfer within 7 days. Dollar figures are a guide.
Our own WhatsApp agent is still being built
The JHC Sector Agent (enquiry edition) will answer, take details, send a payment link and hand over to a person on your own number. It is in build, with no price or date yet. Until then we build quoted automations on established tools. For the bigger picture, see our Nigeria overview; property sellers should read AI for real estate in Nigeria.
Questions people ask
Can AI confirm a bank transfer from a screenshot?
It should not. Screenshots are easy to fake, so a person checks the bank or payment gateway dashboard before anything is dispatched.
Can AI write product descriptions for Jumia?
Yes, from your own product details, and a person checks each one for accuracy before you submit it. Jumia reviews new listings before they are published.
How much does WhatsApp order automation cost in Nigeria?
With us, one quoted automation starts from £395 (about $520). Meta's message fees and any platform plan are paid to the provider.
We sell from Lagos. Can a UK company set this up?
Yes, by video, on your own WhatsApp, Instagram and Google accounts, so your customer list stays with you. It starts with a free 15-minute call.
Who you'll work with
James Hayes Consulting is a UK AI consultancy led by Ross Hayes, who builds software for his own businesses and uses AI tools in them every day. We work with overseas businesses by video, set AI up on your real work, and tell you straight if something isn’t worth paying for.
Every project starts with a free 15-minute video call. Prices are in pounds sterling and agreed in writing before you commit; UK VAT isn’t added.
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