Nigeria’s creator economy is valued at $31.2M, a new public-private report reveals

The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism & Creative Economy (FMACCE) announced the launch of the inaugural Nigerian Creator Economy Report 2025. This groundbreaking report, themed “The State of the Nigerian Creator Economy: Content, Culture, and Cashflow,” offers the first comprehensive data-driven analysis of a sector that has rapidly evolved into a formidable engine of economic participation and cultural influence.

The report reveals that Nigeria’s creator economy is valued at over $31.2 million as of 2025. It highlights Nigeria’s pivotal role in Africa’s booming digital creator economy, which was worth $3.08 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $17.84 billion by 2030, growing at an impressive 28.5% annually.

Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism & Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, emphasised the report’s significance, stating, “This report… illuminates with clarity how our creators… are not only driving economic growth but shaping Nigeria’s global identity and transforming culture into commerce”. She added, “The future of Nigeria’s economy will not be written by oil and gas alone. It will be sung, filmed, painted, designed, coded, performed, and shared by our creators“.

Key findings from the report include:

• Explosive Sector Growth: Nigerian artists received over ₦58 billion from Spotify in 2024, a 146% increase from 2023, reflecting a maturing streaming culture. Nigerian content on YouTube now garners over 20 billion annual views, with more than 1,500 channels surpassing the 100,000-subscriber mark, contributing over $10 million in AdSense revenue in 2024. Nollywood achieved a ₦11.5 billion box office gross in 2024, representing a 60% increase from the previous year, with filmmakers like Funke Akindele setting new records. Podcast listenership also surged by 222% between 2021 and 2022.
• Platform Dominance & Demographics: TikTok stands out with over 6.3 million Nigerian profiles boasting more than 1,000 followers, demonstrating its unique ability to foster localised engagement, with 98% having predominantly Nigerian audiences. Instagram hosts 469,243 Nigerian profiles with over 1,000 followers, with female creators comprising 41.7%.
• The Monetisation Gap: Despite the vibrant activity, the report highlights a significant “monetisation gap,” with 56.45% of Nigerian creators earning less than $100 per month from their creative work. This underscores the challenges in converting visibility into sustainable income, with only 3.23% earning over $5,000 monthly, indicating an extreme concentration of wealth at the top. Most creators experience inconsistent earnings.
• Rise of the Micro-Entrepreneur: Over half (54.8%) of Nigerian creators have fewer than 10,000 followers, forming a “long tail” of micro-entrepreneurs. 44% of these creators primarily rely on selling digital products and services, showcasing an entrepreneurial approach to sustainability independent of large brand deals.

Obi Asika, Director-General of the NCAC, hailed the report as “the very first of its kind. It shines a light on a fast-growing sector that has already become one of Nigeria’s greatest economic and cultural engines“.

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The report also details the Nigerian government’s proactive role in fostering this growth through initiatives like the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Program (which has trained over 117,000 participants by May 2025), and major infrastructure investments like the Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTICo) and the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) program. The Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF), backed by a $200 million seed from Afreximbank, targets projects to drive innovation and job creation, with thousands of applications already received.

“Nigerian creators do more than entertain. They shape identity, open markets, and carry our stories across borders,” remarked Elijah Affi, Creative Director & Co-Founder of TM Global. He added that “When policy, capital, and community align, growth becomes repeatable”.

David I. Adeleke, Founder & CEO of Communiqué, asserted, “This Nigeria Creator Economy Report marks a turning point.” He urged stakeholders to “match cultural power with economic strategy, treating creativity not as a soft export but as a key driver of economic growth”.

The report offers strategic recommendations for creators, platforms, brands, government, and institutions, advocating for diversified income streams, localised monetisation features, tiered funding models, and a “Creator Bill of Rights” to protect intellectual property and formalise the industry.

The Nigerian Creator Economy Report 2025 serves as a critical blueprint for all stakeholders to unlock the full potential of this dynamic sector, ensuring sustainable growth and cementing Nigeria’s cultural leadership on the global stage.

To find out more and download the full report, visit Creator report.