Nigeria
Bulk WhatsApp messaging
WhatsApp broadcast in Nigeria: one message, every customer
Forget the 256 contact limit and the fear of losing your number. WhatsApp broadcast in Nigeria, done on the official API: approved templates to your whole opted-in list, segmented by service or location, with every reply and result in front of you.
No 256 limit
Approved templates
Delivery and read reports
Replies in your inbox
Your next campaign
The basics
How WhatsApp broadcast works in Nigeria
Two very different things get called a WhatsApp broadcast. Which one you use decides how many people you reach and whether your number survives the campaign.
The app's broadcast list stops at 256
The free WhatsApp Business app lets you send to a list of up to 256 people, and only people who have saved your number receive it. Everyone else on the list never sees the message, and nothing tells you who missed out.
The API reaches your whole opted-in list
A WhatsApp broadcast in Nigeria on the official WhatsApp Business API has no 256 limit and does not depend on customers saving your number. Each message goes out as a template Meta has approved, to people who agreed to hear from you.
Meta sets how many people you can message a day
A new number starts with a daily limit on unique customers it can open conversations with, at 250, and moves up through 2,000, 10,000 and 100,000 to unlimited as you keep sending good messages. Bulk WhatsApp messaging in Nigeria grows with your quality rating, not overnight.
Quality is what keeps the number alive
If people block or report a broadcast, Meta lowers your quality rating and can cut your limit. Segmenting the list, sending what people asked for and honouring opt-outs is what protects the number your customers already know.
How it works
A campaign tool, not a blast tool
Broadcasts on the official API are permitted, tracked and replied to. That is the difference between marketing and spam.
Segments
Message the right people only
Filter by last visit, service bought, branch, city or spend. Sending your Lekki promo to Kano customers is how you get blocked.
Templates
Meta approved, ready to reuse
We write and submit your templates, and keep a library of ones that already passed review.
Scheduling
Send when Nigerians actually read
Schedule around commute hours and paydays, or drip a campaign over a few days to protect your quality rating.
Replies
Every reply lands in the inbox
A broadcast starts conversations. They arrive in the team inbox, assigned and ready to close, not lost in a notification.
Step by step
How to send a bulk WhatsApp broadcast in Nigeria
From a list in a spreadsheet to replies in your inbox, in four steps.
Step 1
Bring in the people who opted in
Import contacts from a spreadsheet or your store, or let them build up from chats. Every contact keeps a record of where and when they agreed to hear from you.
Step 2
Pick the segment
Filter by last visit, service bought, branch, city or spend. A Lekki offer goes to Lekki customers, a Kano restock goes to Kano, and nobody gets a message that is not for them.
Step 3
Choose an approved template
Use one from your library or have us write it and submit it to Meta. Add the customer's name and an offer button so the WhatsApp broadcast reads like a message, not a flyer.
Step 4
Schedule it, then answer the replies
Send now or around paydays and evenings. Replies land in the shared team inbox, assigned and ready to close, and anyone who replies STOP is removed automatically.
Side by side
WhatsApp broadcast lists against bulk WhatsApp messaging on the API
Both are called broadcasts. Only one of them can run a campaign for a Nigerian business with thousands of customers.
What it costs
What a WhatsApp broadcast costs in Nigeria
Two separate costs, and only one of them grows with the size of the list.
Meta charges per delivered message
A promotional WhatsApp broadcast in Nigeria is billed by Meta as a marketing message, at US$0.0516 each, which is about ₦68.66 at the CBN rate the site uses. Order updates and reminders are utility messages at about ₦8.92. Meta bills in dollars, so the naira figure moves with the exchange rate.
Your DMly plan covers the software
Plans start at ₦29,000 a month, and Starter includes 10,000 broadcast or template messages a month. DMly adds nothing on top of Meta's message charges.
Work out a campaign before you send it
Count the people in the segment and multiply by the marketing rate. A promotion to 1,000 opted-in customers is about ₦68,660 in Meta charges. The same 1,000 people getting a booking reminder instead is about ₦8,920.
Spend less by sending less, better
A smaller, well chosen segment beats a blast to everyone: it costs less, gets more replies and protects your quality rating. Our guide to WhatsApp costs in naira works through more examples.
What good looks like
Typical results from a Nigerian promo broadcast
Numbers from campaigns run by DMly customers on the official API.
98%
Delivered and opened, against roughly 20% for an email blast.
26%
Reply rate on a well segmented offer with a clear button.
12x
Return on a well targeted campaign, measured in naira collected.
0
Numbers banned when you use templates and opt-ins properly.
Why DMly
Why Nigerian businesses choose DMly
What your customers already do on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook, handled in one place and priced in naira.
01Priced in nairaPlans from ₦29,000 a month, and Meta's message costs explained in naira before you send.
02The official WhatsApp APIRuns on Meta's official WhatsApp Business API, on your own number.
03Every channel, one inboxWhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, SMS and website chat, answered by one team.
04Bookings and payments in the chatTake bookings, send invoices and share Paystack payment links without leaving the conversation.
05Set up for you, freeTell us what you want to automate and we build it with you, including help with Meta business verification.
06People you can reachCall or WhatsApp our team on 0806 121 1164.
Start your 7-day free trialChat with us on WhatsAppNo card needed for the trial. Setup help is free.
Rules
WhatsApp broadcast in Nigeria: what business owners ask
Do customers have to opt in?
Yes. Anyone who has messaged your business or ticked a box counts. DMly records where and when each opt-in happened.
Can I send promotions?
Yes, marketing templates are allowed and Meta charges for each delivered marketing message. We show the cost per campaign in naira before you send.
What if people reply STOP?
They are removed from future broadcasts automatically and the list stays clean, which protects your quality rating.
Is bulk WhatsApp messaging legal in Nigeria?
Yes, on the official WhatsApp Business API and to people who agreed to hear from you. Meta built the API for exactly this. What gets numbers restricted is bulk messaging strangers from desktop sender tools that drive WhatsApp Web.
How many people can I send a WhatsApp broadcast to?
As many as you have opted in, within Meta's daily limit on unique customers. A new number starts at 250 a day and rises to 2,000, 10,000, 100,000 and then unlimited as your quality stays good.
How much does a WhatsApp broadcast cost in Nigeria?
Meta charges about ₦68.66 per delivered marketing message and about ₦8.92 per utility message, billed in dollars. Your DMly plan is a separate monthly fee, from ₦29,000, with 10,000 broadcast or template messages included on Starter.
Will a broadcast get my number banned?
Sending approved templates to people who opted in is the permitted route. The risk comes from messaging people who did not ask, which leads to blocks and reports. Segment, keep it relevant and let STOP replies take people off the list.
Can I personalise each message?
Yes. Templates can carry the customer's name, the branch, an amount or a date, and buttons for booking, paying or replying.
Do I need a new number for bulk WhatsApp messaging?
No. Your existing business number can move onto the API, so customers keep seeing the number they already saved.
Can I upload a contact list I bought?
No. It is against Meta policy and the fastest way to lose your number. NDPR also requires a lawful basis.
How many can I send at once?
As many as your messaging tier allows, starting at 250 unique customers a day and rising automatically with good quality.
Do I pay per broadcast?
Meta charges per delivered marketing message. DMly adds no markup and shows the running cost before you send.
Can I test first?
Yes, send to a small segment, read the replies, then release to the rest.
Keep going
Make every WhatsApp broadcast in Nigeria work harder
Guides and tools for the campaigns you run next.
Templates
Write templates that pass review
The wording Meta approves first time, and the mistakes that get templates paused.
Opt-ins
Grow a list people want to be on
Tick boxes, QR codes and keywords that collect consent the right way.
Costs
WhatsApp costs in naira
Every line on your bill, with worked examples for salons, restaurants and schools.
Seasonal
Plan your Detty December campaign
Timing, segments and messages for the busiest month of the year.
Replies
Let an AI agent answer the replies
A broadcast starts conversations. An agent trained on your prices answers them in seconds.
Payments
Turn replies into paid orders
Send a Paystack or Flutterwave link in the same chat the broadcast started.
Explore
A broadcast is four decisions, not one send button
Who
Segment before you send anything
Filter by last visit, service bought, branch, city, spend or a custom tag. A Lekki-only promo sent to Kano customers earns blocks, and blocks cost you your messaging limit. Smaller and sharper always outperforms bigger.
Going deeper
How to broadcast for years without losing your number
Everything below is the difference between a marketing channel you own and a number Meta restricts.
Opt-in is not a formality
Every contact you message should have agreed to hear from you: a checkbox at booking, a reply to a keyword, a form at the till. DMly records where and when each customer opted in, so if there is ever a dispute you have the evidence and not an argument.
Frequency is what gets you blocked
Twice a month to a well-chosen segment is a business. Twice a week to everybody is spam, and your customers will tell Meta so with the block button. We cap and warn you when a segment is being messaged too often.
Make every send have one job
A broadcast with three offers, a new branch announcement and a public holiday greeting does nothing. One message, one action, one link, and a reply path for the people who want to talk. Response rates roughly double when you do this.
Read the numbers that matter
Delivered is not a result. Look at replies, bookings created, payments collected and blocks per thousand. DMly reports all four per campaign so you can see which offer actually moved money and which quietly annoyed people.
Stop means stop, automatically
Every broadcast carries an opt-out. When someone uses it, DMly removes them from promotional sends immediately while keeping service messages, so their booking reminders still arrive. That one detail protects your quality rating more than anything else.
What good looks like
Benchmarks from Nigerian businesses broadcasting on the official API
Compared with email and bulk SMS on the same customer lists.
98%
Typical delivery rate on opted-in lists
26%
Reply rate on a well-segmented promo
8x
Open rate versus the same message by email
0.3%
Block rate when frequency is capped
Run your next promo on WhatsApp
Black Friday, Detty December, a new branch opening. One message, thousands of customers, replies in your team inbox.