On a humid afternoon in Lagos, a shoot for a comedy skit is underway on a set that resembles a small film production. Dozens of people mill about: lighting assistants, a sound engineer, a makeup artist, and even a content creator recording behind-the-scenes footage. At the centre is Broda Shaggi, born Samuel Animashaun Perry, who issues instructions, rehearses lines, and performs caricatures. According to Olufemi Oguntamu, CEO of Penzaarville Africa, a Lagos-based media agency that manages Broda Shaggi, behind the punchlines and viral memes lies significant hard work.

Oguntamu said, "He shoots like he’s doing a movie. He gets buses to take the crew around. They use drones. They use big cameras. It’s serious business now … people don’t understand how difficult it is to keep up creating content every day because it has to be new content." Broda Shaggi’s comedy career began at the University of Lagos, where he started uploading skits to social media platforms. He has since amassed 11.9 million followers on Instagram, released music, and crossed over into film and television work.

The 32-year-old is one of the most popular figures in an ecosystem of Nigerian social media creators that includes skit-makers, YouTubers, TikTokers, podcasters, and streamers, building audiences across Africa and the diaspora. According to the 2026 Africa Creator Economy Report, the sector is valued at $3.1 billion and projected to grow nearly six-fold to $17.8 billion by 2030. However, in Nigeria, one of the key countries driving this growth, many influencers say their fame has yet to translate to financial comfort.

Beneath the headline numbers lies a stark reality: more than half of Africa’s creators earn less than $100 a month. Platforms make less money from advertising than in other parts of the world, leading to lower payments to creators, meaning many rely on family, friends, and brand partnerships for income. Over a third view their jobs as hobbies, partly due to severe operational challenges such as unstable power supply and access to funding.

David Adeleke, CEO of the newsletter Communique, which co-authored the Africa Creator Economy Report, stated, "In Nigeria, public capital is not readily available to digital creators … it doesn’t exist. A lot of the public capital that we find goes to filmmakers and infrastructure players, people building physical spaces." Adeleke suggested a policy like the UAE’s renewable 10-year golden visa, which allows creators to live and work tax-free. "One of the biggest problems that Nigerian creators have is the shortage of monetisation systems. We need policies that specifically focus on encouraging international companies to come into Nigeria to enable local creators to monetise their content globally."

The Nigerian government hopes the creative economy can help diversify its oil-dependent revenues. There is no specific creator tax, but those earning more than 50 million naira (£27,360) a year are taxed up to 25% as part of a bracket for freelancers and remote workers. In January, the third African Creators Summit drew thousands of content creators, including some from outside Nigeria, to Lagos. Speakers called for more supportive policies from the government for the emerging sector, instead of taxing it first.

There was also talk of dismantling bureaucracy and updating existing legislation for federal agencies that regulate the sector. Some also accuse the government of wanting to censor online content under the guise of combating misinformation and disinformation. Beyond monetisation, creators face intellectual property theft and AI cloning. Experts say coordination between regulators and global tech firms to protect creators is key. Government officials say they are willing to engage industry players but are uncertain about whom, due to the existence of several creator unions.

Baba Agba, an adviser with the ministry of art, culture, tourism, and creative economy, said at the summit, "The sector needs to come together and say, this is what we want … and they need to want to work with us, too." Oguntamu agrees: "I’ve seen a lot [of unions], but none has weight … maybe that’s why we’re not being taken seriously yet by the government. Because we don’t have one voice." He said meetings with the government would need to focus on providing an "enabling environment," including bringing internet data costs down, to be considered productive.

Source: www.theguardian.com