YouTube announces new initiatives to support growth of local Creators in Nigeria

YouTube on Tuesday unveiled two new initiatives to support the growth of YouTube Creators in Nigeria.

The initiatives were YouTube-driven promotional campaign that features upcoming content from top local YouTube channels and Creators and partnership with MTN, which provides Creators with free data for three months.

Also MTN launched new packages to enable Nigerians to watch more of their favourite YouTube content.

The announcement was built on the first YouTube Week, hosted in Lagos in June, and the support for 10 Creators through Mr Eazi’s emPawa Africa initiative, announced at Google for Nigeria in July 2019.

Speaking at the event, Olumide Balogun, Google’s Country Marketing Manager in Nigeria, said that YouTube was doing this to help more people discover content that they would love on the platform.

Balogun said that it was also helping more Creators to get discovered and succeed.

According to him, it is important to make it easier for more people to be able to access YouTube through affordable data plans.

“YouTube is committed to supporting YouTube Creators to develop locally relevant content.

“In addition to YouTube Week in June and the Mr Eazi emPawa Africa partnership announced in July, we have also awarded Play Buttons to Creators as they hit subscriber
milestones this year.

“Into 2020 and beyond, we will continue to showcase local artists which we did with Burna Boy’s Spotlight Story documentary, and continue to host, training and organise skill acquisition programmes,’’ he said.

Balogun said that over 5,000 hours of content were uploaded to YouTube every minute.

According to him, YouTube attracts a global generation that has grown up watching what they want, whenever they want, on whatever device is closest.

He says that what happens on YouTube is a reflection of what is important and relevant to the world.

Balogun said that YouTube had a large and passionate community of people who express themselves, share experiences, and reflect on what they care about from moment to moment.

“We are very excited to be able to extend our support of this community in Nigeria,” he said.

It was reported that at the event, Creators were presented with MiFi devices and free internet access for the next three months to help them share more content, more conveniently.

MTN also introduced new offerings for consumers to take up so they can watch more of their favourite YouTube channels.

The offer is a new bundle of N200 for two gigabyte valued for seven days and would take up to seven or eight hours of watching videos.

The event was attended by top Nigerian YouTube creators, entertainers, movie industry experts and influencers as well as media.

The YouTube campaign showcases a vast array of verticals and local content from genres like entertainment, food, beauty, comedy and sports.