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AN OPEN LETTER TO SENATOR NATASHA AKPOTI-UDUAGHAN

Understanding Why Nigerian Creators Earn Less And How We Can Fix It

By Isaac Jesumbo (Our Digital Professor)

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Introduction: A Turning Point for the Nigerian Digital Economy

Your Excellency, Senator Natasha,
Your intervention in the Senate regarding the earnings disparity faced by Nigerian creators is timely, bold, and deeply necessary. As someone who has spent years running high-performing digital advertising campaigns across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria, and several African countries, I understand firsthand why this monetization gap exists. The issue is not platform bias, it is economic structure. Once these structures are clear, the solutions become more practical and achievable.

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I. WHY NIGERIAN CREATORS EARN LESS THAN THEIR FOREIGN COUNTERPARTS

1. Creator Earnings Are Driven by Advertiser Demand, Not Geography

Globally, platforms pay creators based on the value of ads served to their audience, not the talent level of the creator. When I run ads for clients in the U.S. or U.K., a typical daily ad budget easily falls between what would be ₦20,000 and ₦50,000, and many campaigns scale to the equivalent of ₦100,000 or more per day. Advertisers in those regions spend confidently because their consumers have stronger purchasing power, and the business ecosystem supports consistent advertising investments.

Nigeria is a different landscape. Most Nigerian businesses operate with very modest budgets, often spending between ₦5,000 and ₦20,000 daily. This smaller budget pool means advertising demand is naturally lower, which directly reduces the CPM (Cost Per Mille) rates available to creators. In simple terms, global platforms cannot pay Nigerian creators high revenue when the advertisers targeting Nigeria are spending so little. The challenge is economic, not personal.

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2. Nigeria’s High-Risk Digital Rating Affects Monetization Value

As an ad buyer, I constantly monitor account quality, invalid clicks, audience authenticity, and ad integrity. Nigeria unfortunately ranks high in digital irregularities such as fake accounts, policy breaches, and bot-like activity. Platforms respond to this by protecting advertisers: when risk is high, they automatically reduce ad value in that region. This lowers CPM and, in turn, creator revenue.

This is not discrimination, it is risk management. But it affects our creators all the same.

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3. Currency Instability Reduces Advertiser Confidence

A U.S. advertiser can comfortably spend $20 to test an ad because the dollar is stable. In Nigeria, the naira’s volatility makes advertisers extremely cautious. When a business fears loss, it limits spending. Because I manage campaigns in multiple continents, I’ve seen the stark difference: Western advertisers run tests worth entire Nigerian monthly budgets. When ad spend is small, ad value (CPM) drops, and creator revenue follows.

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4. Fewer High-Value Industries Mean Lower CPM

High-paying ad industries such as insurance, banking, real estate, fintech and e-commerce dominate Western advertising. Nigeria simply has fewer advertisers in these premium sectors. Most of our ads come from retail microbusinesses, low-budget SMEs, and general-interest sectors. As an expert managing accounts across continents, I can confirm that ad value always mirrors the economic strength of the advertisers in a region. Fewer premium advertisers = lower creator earnings.

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5. Africa Is Not Yet a Priority Monetization Region for Big Tech

Platforms prioritise regions that generate the most advertising revenue. Africa contributes massive traffic but minimal advertiser spending. Having worked with Meta and Google ad ecosystems for years, I’ve seen how platform investment follows revenue concentration. This is why the U.S., Europe, and parts of Asia receive the highest creator bonuses, expanded monetization tools, and stronger algorithmic support. Africa is simply not yet considered a high-value market.

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II. THE SOLUTIONS: WHAT NIGERIA MUST DO TO PROTECT AND EMPOWER CREATORS

Nigeria Needs a National Monetization Policy Framework

To elevate Nigeria from the “low-value” classification, the country must transition from being merely a user region to a regulated digital market. With a structured policy, Nigeria can demand transparent CPM reporting, dedicated African monetization programs, and fairer inclusion in global creator bonuses. This is a powerful first step toward raising earnings.

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We Must Strengthen Nigeria’s Digital Advertising Market

Creator earnings will always rise when advertiser demand increases. Government incentives encouraging businesses to prioritize digital promotion can significantly improve CPM rates. With my ad-buying experience, I can confidently say that if Nigerian SMEs doubled their digital budgets, creators would see immediate improvements in their earnings. Ministries adopting digital-first communication strategies will also push the digital ecosystem forward.

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Building Local Monetizable Platforms Is Essential

Countries like China and India did not wait for global platforms to prioritize their creators. They built alternatives tailored to their economies, enabling creators to earn more sustainably. Nigeria can replicate this by funding and supporting the development of creator-focused platforms. This reduces our dependence on Western monetization models and gives creators a homegrown advantage.

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Nigeria Must Sit at the Table With Meta, Google, and TikTok

Negotiation is powerful. If Nigeria, through the Senate, NCC, CBN, and the Ministry of Digital Economy, formally demands better CPM classification, transparent algorithms and increased monetization investments, platforms will listen; because Nigeria is too big to ignore. Countries like Kenya and South Africa have already leveraged negotiation successfully. Nigeria can lead the continent.

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Improving Digital Trust Will Automatically Raise CPM

Advertisers spend more in countries they trust. If Nigeria strengthens creator identity verification, improves NIMC integration, reduces fraud, and standardizes digital advertising ethics, global platforms will automatically increase the region’s value rating. This creates higher incomes for every content creator in the country.

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A Creator Protection & Monetization Bill Can Change Everything

Your Excellency, your voice can formalize the creator economy. A bill that protects earnings, enforces transparency, and ensures better digital rights will reshape how creators are treated, not just by platforms, but by the entire ecosystem. Nigeria can become a benchmark for the continent.

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3. WHAT WE MUST AVOID

It is important that we do not approach global platforms with accusations of deliberate bias or discrimination. The issue is economic, structural, and solvable. If we address the underlying economic factors and negotiate strategically, Nigeria can reposition itself as a premium digital market.

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Final Message to Senator Natasha

Your Excellency, the earning gap exists because Nigerian traffic is classified as low-value due to spending patterns, risk ratings, and economic limitations, not because creators lack talent or global platforms undervalue them. But with policy reforms, stronger digital infrastructure, high-level negotiations and a more empowered advertiser ecosystem, Nigeria can redefine its place in the global creator economy.

Millions of young Nigerians are depending on these reforms for their livelihoods. And with your influence and leadership, this transformation can begin.

Respectfully,
Isaac Jesumbo
Our Digital Professor