Digital platform bridges technology, OOH for industry growth

GlobeTrotter, in collaboration with the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria and DataShare Service Limited, has launched a new digital platform designed to serve as a central meeting point for Out-of-Home advertising asset owners and prospective clients across the world.

According to the advert practitioners, the innovation is aimed at eliminating the barrier of distance between asset owners and potential advertisers nationwide.

While GlobeTrotter provided the technology backbone for the platform, DataShare Service Limited served as the financial technology partner, jointly delivering the project in partnership with OAAN.

The inauguration, which took place on Thursday, brought together advertising practitioners, regulators, stakeholders, billboard operators, and other outdoor media asset owners from across Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of GlobeTrotter OOH Ltd, Mr Ayodele Akingbade, described the launch as more than a product unveiling, but the beginning of a major transformation in how the industry connects, trades, and delivers value.

He noted that for many years, the OOH sector struggled with challenges such as fragmented asset information, slow manual transactions, limited visibility for buyers, and reduced optimisation for asset owners.

Akingbade emphasised that the new platform is designed to bridge the gap between traditional OOH advertising and modern technology, giving all industry stakeholders the tools needed to grow, collaborate, and scale efficiently.

He said, “Today is more than a product unveiling. It is the beginning of a transformation in the way our industry connects, trades, and delivers value. For decades, the Out-of-Home sector has been driven by passion, creativity, and resilience. But we all know the challenges: fragmented asset information, slow manual transactions, limited visibility for buyers, and reduced optimisation for owners.

“These challenges have held back the full potential of the OOH ecosystem in Nigeria and across Africa. GlobeTrotter is not just software; it is a platform designed to modernise, digitise, and democratise the buying and selling of OOH assets.

“We built GlobeTrotter to bridge the gap between technology and OOH, and to give every stakeholder the tools to grow, collaborate, and scale. GlobeTrotter is an online marketplace where owners and advertisers meet to transact with unprecedented speed, clarity, and efficiency.”

Also speaking, the President of OAAN, Dr Sola Akinaiku, expressed excitement at the inauguration, noting that the OOH industry has, for over four decades, been central to shaping brand visibility across the country.

He said, “For decades, our industry has been the bedrock of brand visibility across Nigeria. We have painted cityscapes with creativity, turned roads into runways for brand stories, and connected advertisers with millions of consumers in their daily journey. We are proud of this legacy.

“However, we have also been acutely aware of the challenges: a marketplace often constrained by physical limitations, manual processes, and fragmented access. We knew that to truly unlock the immense potential of OOH in Nigeria, we needed to bridge the gap between tradition and technology. We needed to create a system that is more efficient, more transparent, and more accessible to a global audience.

“Today, we answered that call. Today, we stop just talking about the future and actively step into it. It is therefore my distinguished privilege to officially welcome you to the formal launch of GlobeTrotter Software, our very own digital marketplace, the engine that will power the next chapter of OOH advertising in Nigeria.

“GlobeTrotter is not just a platform; it is a paradigm shift. It is a comprehensive online ecosystem where OOH assets can be seamlessly browsed, compared, and acquired from the comfort of any device, anywhere in the world.”