It is now common knowledge that one of the major means of connecting and inspiring the world is through videos that are turned out every second on YouTube. What many may not know is that it is a source of income for many others who have been financially empowered by sharing their passion. This among others was held in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Spotted at the event were top YouTube creators, Toke Makinwa and Ariyike Akinbobola who run regular monologues, Olisa Adibua who is a Veteran broadcaster and interviews headliners in the worlds of entertainment and politics in an attempt to get ‘The Truth’ and Naija’s craziest who extracts the comedy and satire from politics and issues, all of whom came to speak on how they have been leveraging YouTube to reach their audience. We were also listed among the top YouTube creators who have contributed to the export of Nigerian content via YouTube and the total increase of YouTube content by 95% as we shared our experiences alongside other YouTube creators as a channel notable for reviews and analyses on mobile devices like phones, tablets and all things ICT.
The event which was really an avenue to celebrate the 10th anniversary of YouTube had its spotlight on Nigerians who against all odds are constantly sharing content and by so doing, building a fan base. Speaking at the event, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, West Africa Communication and Public Affairs Manager had this to say, “Some people still think only highly trained individuals or people with access to funds can create content and run YouTube channels. it is our hope that by showcasing the inspiring work that these individual creators are doing, we are able to help inspire more nigerians to begin to share more video content. With you need little or no start-up capital”.
YouTube is the largest online video community that attracts a global generation that has grown up watching all they want at any time most convenient to them with the available device which data has shown that 50% of YouTube’s staggering billions of hours of monthly watch-time comes from mobile devices. What is even more interesting is the fact that, on average, 60% of a channel’s views come from outside the creator’s home country.
“Since the launch of the Nigeria domain www.youtube.com.ng in December 2011, YouTube has grown to become one of the top online destinations for Nigerians looking for inspiration and creative expression. Nigerian creators have also taken advantage of the power of large number of local and global viewers getting on the platform on a daily basis. Today, Nigeria entertainment content like Nollywood movies and music videos by local Nigerian artists are being consumed across the world, and are thus generating tens of millions of views” said Kola-Ogunlade.
What many may not know is that anyone can be a YouTube creator so long as you have passion for creating videos and constantly churning out content that will interest viewers. For instance, there are now more than one million channels earning revenue through the YouTube Partnership Program, in more than 30 countries and Nigeria has not been left out. To find out more about YouTube and becoming a YouTube Partner, go to: http://www.youtube.com/yt/partners/
