AD Tech Watch #11: ChatGPT Ads Auto-Rewrites, Nigeria’s Digital Postcodes, Google Posts Move Up

AD Tech Watch is our short, selected roundup of the AI, search and software news that matters to businesses in Nigeria, explained in plain English. In this issue: ChatGPT Ads will start rewriting and translating ads automatically on 29 October unless advertisers opt out, NIPOST’s new digital postcodes give every building an exact address that businesses can use, Google is testing a higher spot for Business Profile posts, and Google has started testing ads in AI Mode for people who connect their Gmail and Photos.

Issue #11 · 21 October 2026 · By AD Technologies Limited, an AI technology company in Lagos

1. ChatGPT Ads Will Rewrite Your Ads Automatically From 29 October Unless You Opt Out

What happened: OpenAI has told advertisers that “creative enhancements” will be switched on by default for new and existing self-serve ChatGPT Ads campaigns. Its help article gives the start date as 29 October 2026, while the email to advertisers reported by Search Engine Roundtable on 20 October said 30 October. When enhancements are on, ChatGPT can rewrite headlines and descriptions, translate ad text into other languages, resize images and send people to a different page on your website that it judges more relevant. Variations can be prepared in advance or created in real time, there is no preview of each version, and OpenAI’s email says the ads “can run automatically without requiring you to review or approve each version.” Advertisers can opt out in Ads Manager before the date or at any time afterwards; existing opt-outs stay in place, and campaign settings override the account default. Separately, on 16 October OpenAI added a redesigned Conversions page, weekly performance emails and more measurement partners, and began testing larger image ad formats. OpenAI’s help article does not say which countries ChatGPT Ads are available in, so availability for Nigerian advertisers is not confirmed.

What this means for Nigerian businesses: If you advertise on ChatGPT, or plan to, your ads could soon say things you did not write, in languages you did not choose, and land people on pages you did not pick. For a business that must be careful about prices, delivery areas, regulated claims or naira offers, that is a real risk. Decide before 29 October: either opt out at account level, or leave it on for one test campaign and check the results and the landing pages people actually reach. Whatever you choose, make sure every page on your website is accurate and current, because ChatGPT may now send ad clicks to any of them.

Sources: OpenAI Help Center, Search Engine Roundtable, Search Engine Land.

2. Nigeria’s New Digital Postcodes Give Every Building an Exact Address

What happened: The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has launched the National Digital Alphanumeric Postcode System, which went live nationwide on 1 October 2026, Legit.ng reported on 17 October. Each addressable building gets its own 11-character code linked to its location, meant to support deliveries, logistics, emergency response and public services. The code “identifies a building, not its owner or occupants,” according to Legit.ng. You can search by address or use your phone’s location at postcode.gov.ng or in the Android app (the iPhone app is marked as coming soon), suggest corrections, and request a postcode for a building that is missing. Legit.ng reports that finding, saving and sharing a postcode is free. The official site also offers organisations an account and API key to verify customer and merchant addresses, look up any building’s postcode and put their business on the map under its own name. The system was built by Nigerian geospatial firm Milsat.

What this means for Nigerian businesses: Vague addresses cost Nigerian businesses money in failed deliveries, lost dispatch riders and customers who cannot find the shop. Look up the postcode for your office, shop or warehouse and check that it points to the right building. Then add it to your website’s contact page, invoices and delivery instructions, and make sure your business address is written the same way everywhere online, which also helps Google and AI tools match your listings to your website. If you run deliveries, e-commerce or field services, ask NIPOST about the API so you can check customer addresses before you dispatch.

Sources: Legit.ng, NIPOST Postcode.

3. Google Tests Moving Business Profile Posts Higher Up Your Listing

What happened: Google appears to be testing a higher position for the Posts section of Google Business Profile panels in Search, Search Engine Roundtable reported on 19 October. Ben Fisher shared screenshots on LinkedIn and said posts were moving up and then back down roughly every three days. Google moved Posts to the bottom of the panel in 2018. Google has not commented, so this is an unconfirmed test, and the countries where it appears were not reported. Business owners can publish three kinds of post from their profile: an Update, an Offer with dates and an optional coupon code, or an Event. Google’s help page says posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set, and posts containing a phone number may be rejected if Google cannot verify that the number belongs to the business.

What this means for Nigerian businesses: Many Nigerian businesses set up a Google Business Profile once and never post on it. If Google gives posts a more visible spot, a fresh update, offer or event could be one of the first things a customer sees when they search for your business name. Posting takes a few minutes: share a real photo, a current offer in naira or an upcoming event, and add a button that links to your website or booking page. Keep each post accurate and avoid typing phone numbers into the text. If you want this handled alongside your website and search work, see our services.

Sources: Search Engine Roundtable, Google Business Profile Help.

4. Google Starts Testing Ads in AI Mode for People Who Connect Gmail and Photos

What happened: Google told Search Engine Land, which reported it on 16 October, that it is starting to test ads in AI Mode for users who connect their apps through Personal Intelligence. In March, Google had said there were no ads for people who connect their apps to AI Mode. Google’s updated help page says ads will not be based directly on a user’s Gmail inbox or Google Photos library, but Search may use summaries, excerpts and inferences from connected apps to personalise answers, and that same information may be used to show ads. Google says it does not personalise ads using sensitive categories, advertisers do not get access to connected apps, and users choose whether to connect apps and can disconnect them at any time. Search Engine Land reported that no new advertiser controls, targeting options or wider rollout have been announced, and neither report named the countries in the test, so whether it reaches users in Nigeria is not confirmed.

What this means for Nigerian businesses: AI Mode answers are becoming a place where ads appear, and Google is moving towards ads that reflect what it knows about each person, not just what they typed. There is nothing new to switch on today, but it is a signal to prepare: make sure your ads and landing pages clearly state what you sell, where you deliver and your prices in naira, so AI systems can match them to the right customers. The same clarity helps you get cited in the AI answers themselves, which is what our AI SEO work in Nigeria focuses on. For your own Google account, check which apps you have connected and disconnect any you are not comfortable sharing.

Sources: Search Engine Land, Search Engine Roundtable, Google Search Help.

Also This Week: Baxi Shuts Its PoS Agent Banking Business in Nigeria

Onafriq is winding down Baxi, its agent banking and PoS business in Nigeria, according to a statement shared with Nairametrics on 16 October. The company cited naira depreciation, inflation, competition and the shift to instant bank transfers. Agents have been moved to another principal bank and must transfer their funds to their preferred principal bank within 30 days; the reports do not name the bank or give the exact deadline. Onafriq says it will keep its cross-border payments and card issuing services in Nigeria. If you run a Baxi terminal, contact Baxi support now and move your float before the window closes. Sources: Nairametrics, Legit.ng.

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