The third edition of the Google Ad Manager Academy, themed “Maximizing Ad Monetization in the Digital Future,” has officially wrapped up, leaving digital publishers across Sub-Saharan Africa energized and empowered for the evolving ad tech landscape.
Hosted on June 27, 2025, at Google’s sleek office in Ikoyi, Lagos, the event brought together leading voices in digital publishing for a transformative day of learning, strategy, and innovation. This year’s academy was specially curated for experienced digital publishers seeking to unlock the full potential of ad revenue across web and mobile platforms.
Day One: Insights That Drive Revenue
The academy opened with a compelling session led by Oyinyechi Eze, Strategic Partner Manager for Google in Sub-Saharan Africa. She delivered a deep dive into Programmatic Advertising, breaking down regional statistics and highlighting the stark differences between programmatic and non-programmatic spending across Africa.
Eze also spotlighted the surging growth of in-app advertising, urging developers to optimize their apps for monetization. She emphasized that 80% of future AI innovations will be driven by marketing, citing Lagos TVC as an early adopter of such strategies. One standout insight? 86% of website traffic now comes from mobile devices—a powerful reminder of where digital attention truly lies.
Her session further explored Yield Management, where revenue is determined by the equation impressions × CPM. She walked participants through best practices for demand integration, setup optimization, and automation—core pillars of efficient ad monetization.
Going Deeper: Bidding, Banners, and Native Ads
The academy’s expert facilitators then tackled more advanced topics, including open bidding and header bidding strategies on Google Ad Manager 360. Participants explored tools for adaptive anchor banners that intelligently serve optimal ad sizes and collapsible banners designed to boost eCPM by expanding from the bottom of the screen.
The discussions also shined a light on native ads, which align seamlessly with app content for better user engagement and reduced ad friction. Additional training covered automated bidding, multisizing, News Consumer Insights (NCI), UPR setup, negative enablement, and Ad Manager hygiene—all essential for increasing yield and maintaining platform integrity.
Day Two: Publisher Day NG 2025 — Hands-On with AI & NCI
On July 1, 2025, the Academy continued with “Publisher Day NG 2025,” a hands-on workshop focused on empowering publishers through tools like GA4, NCI, and AI-driven strategies. Attendees—many from top-tier Nigerian media outlets like Channels Television, Silverbird Communications Limited, Vanguard, and Business Day, and others, engaged in live data analysis sessions, exploring practical ways to supercharge performance with actionable insights.
The interactive format encouraged participants to bring laptops or tablets, enabling real-time learning as they explored custom dashboards, audience behavior metrics, and AI-enhanced content strategies.
A Vision for the Future
Google Ad Manager Academy 3.0 delivered on its promise: to equip Sub-Saharan Africa’s digital publishing community with the knowledge, tools, and techniques to thrive in a mobile-first, data-driven world. The hybrid event—accessible both in-person and online—underscored Google’s commitment to inclusive, impactful learning experiences that bridge the gap between content and monetization.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, Google remains a strategic partner in helping publishers stay ahead by driving innovation, unlocking new revenue streams, and transforming content into sustainable business growth.
