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Popular video-sharing platform, YouTube has made millionaires out of many creators.

The idea that someone can become rich just by recording themselves doing something or talking about a particular thing was not feasible in the past. But with YouTube, this has become the reality of many creators.YouTube was officially launched on December 15, 2005, and was serving more than two million video views each day. Prior to its launch, it attracted some 30,000 visitors per day. In 2021, there are approximately 1.86 billion YouTube users worldwide.

YouTube has paid out more than $30 billion to creators in the past three years from ads, merchandising, and other service features.

Typically, YouTube creators earn through Google’s advertising network, AdSense, brand integrations in videos, and sponsored videos. Some creators use all of these means to generate revenue while others depend solely on AdSense.

In Nigeria, we have many popular YouTube creators with over 100k subscribers who have created content ranging from comedy to guides to makeup reviews to Tech, etc. The likes of Mark Angel, Maraji, Dimmah Umeh, Sisi Yemmie, Fisayo Fosudo, are a few popular examples. These people harnessed the opportunity offered by YouTube to share information and also make money while doing what they love.

Nairametrics spoke to a top YouTube creator in Nigeria, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Our respondent has been successfully creating content on YouTube for nearly 5 years and has garnered many subscribers and views on his videos.

“I’d say it’s my interest in creativity from a young age that led me into making YouTube videos. I love reading and looking at art, design, and general innovations in technology. I gravitated towards publications like Wired Magazine and later started a career as a graphic designer. I later moved on to producing videos and have been making videos for almost 5 years,” he stated when Nairametrics inquired about his motivation to start the vlogging journey.

He disclosed that YouTube video making is not his side hustle but a full-time business and he has around 5 part-timers working for him.
He talked about how much he makes from YouTube and his other side gigs. On average, he said he makes between $5,000 – $10,000 or more monthly and an additional $2,000 to $5,000 on advertising.

“The bulk of the money I make comes mainly from advertising revenue on YouTube and working with brands. I also make a few thousand dollars from speaking engagements, appearances, designing and producing videos directly,” he revealed.

What do Nigerians like to watch on YouTube?
A survey carried out by Nairametrics showed that several people are drawn to good comedy skits on the video blogging platform for the momentary relaxation they bring and the sense of community that these videos project.

“YouTube finishes my data but the comedies are really good as it takes my mind off stress,” one respondent confessed.

Videos of cooking lessons also ranked high among our respondents with users showing great interest in learning the fine art of making Nigerian meals.

“I like learning about food from other tribes because I get tired of eating the same type of food over and over again,” a respondent, Bayo said when asked why he liked watching videos with cooking lessons.

YouTube analytics site SocialBlade tracks the number of subscribers and viewers that YouTube content creators have and estimates their income based on the cost-per-thousand advertising rates that YouTube offers. Their analytics show that Nigerian YouTubers are making efficient and profitable use of the platform.

Besides our top vlogger who chose to remain anonymous for his personal security, here are other top YouTubers cashing out daily from the platform.

Mark Angel Comedy
Mark Angel Comedy, the home of comedy skits is one of the popular comedy pages on YouTube. Mark Angel’s YouTube channel was the first African comedy channel to reach one million subscribers. His page consists of a series of YouTube comedy shorts that feature a number of people from Angel’s family and neighbourhood in Port Harcourt.

Many of the shorts involve clever children, primarily Emmanuella Samuel and Success. Mark Angel has over 6.7 million subscribers and their videos have resonated with so many people around the world. The comedy train has also gained thousands of followers on various other social media platforms.

Sisi Yemmie
If you are looking for how to cook the most delicious Nigerian meals, then Sisi Yemmie’s YouTube page is the right place to go. With over 624,000 subscribers, Yemmie teaches her audience how to cook different Nigerian dishes and also shares how to create a monthly food timetable. When Nairametrics ran a survey of popular Youtube channels, several respondents mentioned her page.

Fisayo Fosudo
Fisayo is a visual storyteller and technology video producer with over 180,000 subscribers on youtube. If you are looking for reviews on gadgets, money management etc., Fisayo creates content tailored to this. He is best known in Nigeria for his video content reviewing different smartphones.

Mr Macaroni
Mr Macaroni has been featured in a number of movies and soap operas before starting the ‘Mr Macaroni’ series. With over 400k subscribers, he creates comedy skits wearing a dark red agbada. His videos have garnered over 84 million views and he has many catchphrases that have been adopted by Nigerians. “You’re doing well” is one of his most popular punchlines.

Dimma Umeh
Dimma Umeh is a Nigerian beauty blogger with over 400k subscribers on youtube. She shares insights into her life as a Nigerian. She also shares beauty tips, travel, makeup tutorials, and lifestyle. She published her first YouTube makeup tutorial in 2012 and has since then, garnered over 29 million views on YouTube.

She is well-known for supporting both Nigerian and international brands. Dimma has been featured in popular publications such as Essence magazine

Nigeria has the biggest film industry in Africa and it’s called Nollywood. The name originated from a New York Times article in the early 2000s. Nollywood is a relatively new industry compared to its peers – Hollywood and Bollywood.

The first recorded Nigerian indigenous feature film was Kongi’s Harvest (1970), a play written by Wole Soyinka. However, it was Okechukwu “Okey” Ogunjiofor’s 1992 blockbuster film ‘Living in Bondage’ that opened the market and paved the way for Nollywood’s commercial success.
Nollywood, now a billion-naira industry, currently employs more than one million professionals – including actors, directors, writers, and crew members to name a few.

Nollywood generates more than ₦10 billion for Nigeria’s economy, accounting for 2% of the nation’s gross domestic product. The top five highest-grossing films in Nollywood have a sum total of 1.8 billion Naira.

In October of 2018, Kemi Adetiba’s sophomore film ‘King of Boys’ was released. It received rave reviews and grossed ₦200 million by its seventh week in the box office before selling streaming rights to Netflix in 2020.

In November 2020, it was announced that Netflix had acquired exclusive streaming rights for King of Boys (2018), leaving no room for any other streaming platforms or sponsors. Almost 3 years later, the sequel, King of Boys: The Return of the King has been released on Netflix.
The show, which follows its protagonist, Eniola Salami (played by Sola Sobowale and Toni Tones) is a dark, crime and political show. It is about Eniola’s efforts to reassert herself in power after her return from a 5-year exile. She attempts to turn her underworld might into legitimate political power — this time aiming even higher than before.

Upon release, the show received positive reviews from critics, who praised the direction, cinematography, action sequences and performances. It catapulted to number 1 on Netflix Nigeria’s top 10 and has held that spot since Friday, the 27th when it was released.

The top 10 list is decided by their viewership-tracking metric. A show is considered to have been viewed each time a Netflix account plays it for at least two minutes. With its returning cast and new additions like Nse Ikpe-Etim and Charles “Charly Boy” Oputa, more costumes, and locations, it is safe to assume that King of Boys: The Return of the King surpassed its predecessor in budget and turn-over.

Kemi Adetiba also did something relatively new in Nollywood and quite genius – she made and sold merchandise that was even delivered with popcorn for fans and audience to enjoy while they watched the show. Besides generating revenue, merchandise or merch is a great way to market films and tv shows.

The merchandise included KOB hats, mugs, logo t-shirts, and KOB army t-shirts. The merch was sold in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, the UK, the USA, and Canada with an all-in-one box going for ₦24,500 in Nigeria and $60, £44, and €52 in other countries.

It is astonishing to see all that King of Boys: The Return of the King has accomplished, given that Netflix’s first African original series was cancelled despite its stellar reviews. Netflix didn’t detail the reasons behind its decision but it has been speculated that the cancellation was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adetiba did intend to make a sequel to the 2018 film but decided on a limited series to elevate her art. She wanted time to flesh out the characters and plot. In many ways, it can be said that ‘King of Boys: The Return of the King’ is doing for Nollywood what ‘Living in Bondage’ did in the 90s.

Kemi Adetiba introducing merchandising and selling out in less than a week shows that fans of Nollywood actually want branded souvenirs from films and tv shows they enjoy. Nigerian filmmakers can now take a cue from this and release limited merchandise to generate another form of revenue and market their work. Other streaming platforms like iROKOtv and iBAKATV can be utilized to maximize Nollywood’s revenue generation potential.
Winston Sylvans writes in from Lagos.

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