YouTube, the video streaming website, has announced that 45 Nigerian-owned channels have surpassed one million subscribers on the platform, an achievement that promises more revenue for content creators.
Nairametrics reported that it was revealed on Thursday at a celebration for the 2023 recipients of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund by YouTube’s Managing Director of Emerging Markets, Alex Okosi.
The report revealed that there had been a 50% rise in the number of Nigerian YouTube channels that had reached 1 million subscribers by the end of 2022.
With this, Nigeria also rose to the top spot in Africa for channels that have attained that level.
He claimed that compared to Kenya, where over 14 channels have more than one million members, South Africa has 25 channels that have more than one million subscribers, a growth of over 30% year over year.
With over 100 Black creators from around the world taking part in the celebrations in Kenya, Okosi emphasised the effects of the YouTube Black Voice Fund on content producers in Africa.
“We intended to establish a forum where Black people may share their own stories, in their own voices, with the world when we announced the $100 million fund to amplify Black and African voices and perspectives on our platform. The fund has produced opportunities for a global audience to “amplify, appreciate, and promote Black artistry in many different ways.
“On the continent, it is clear that these creator channels are growing. According to YouTube data as of December 2022, there are now more YouTube channels in South Africa than ever before that generate at least $100,000 (ZAR) annually. While the number of YouTube channels making $100,000 or more per year in Kenya (KES) has climbed by over 25%, the percentage of those channels doing so in Nigeria (NGN) has increased by over 15% year over year.
Beyond the Black Voices Fund, according to Okosi, YouTube is committed to maintaining a focus on Black creators, artists, and content through initiatives, programs, and platform upgrades.
The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund is part of the platform’s dedication to assisting Africa’s creative ecosystem and has provided an opportunity to both recognize and cultivate Black artistic endeavors worldwide.
