Why Nigerian YouTubers Make 30x Less Than Americans (Same Views, Same Platform)

Your favorite Nigerian creator made $1000 last month. An American creator with the same views made $30,000. Same platform. Same algorithm. Different passport.

Adetutu Laditan watched this inequality play out for 10 years. African creators building massive audiences but earning village money. She finally walked away—not because she failed, but because she discovered why we’re really broke.

And it’s not what you think.

The Math That Doesn’t Math:

Nigerian creators: $1 CPM. American creators: $30 CPM. Korean creators who cracked the code: $15-20 CPM. The difference? Korean creators stopped making content for Korea.

While we are creating “How to make perfect Jollof Rice” tutorials for our aunties WhatsApp groups, Korean creators understood something fundamental: The internet doesn’t have borders. Your content strategy does.

The Uncomfortable Truth Adetutu Revealed

“Your local comedy skit might go viral in Lagos, but virality without strategy is just digital poverty with views.” She breaks it down brutally:

• Gamification travels. Inside jokes don’t.
• Competition is universal. Local references aren’t.
• Tension transcends language. Your neighborhood drama doesn’t.

Mr Beast doesn’t speak Yoruba, his videos don’t need subtitles. You watch because human psychology—not geography—drives engagement.

Why Woof Studios Exists (And Why It Matters)

African creators aren’t just content creators. They’re the talent, the editor, the accountant, the copyright manager, the strategist and the customer service. So when are they supposed to actually create?

That’s why Adetutu built Woof Studios. Not another agency promising exposure. Infrastructure. The boring backend that turns creativity into currency.

Because the biggest creators don’t check copyright strikes at 2AM. They create. Someone else handles the business.

The Strategy Shift That Changes Everything

Stop creating for your village. Start creating for villages everywhere.
Your cooking show about Nigerian food? Dead end. A cooking competition where Nigerian food battles Korean food? Global.
Your comedy about Lagos traffic? Local laughs. Your comedy about why all parents are the same? Universal gold.

The constraint was never talent. African creators are brilliant. The constraint was thinking the internet cares about your zip code.

_{This episode is brought to you in partnership with Vban, the borderless banking app built for Africa’s digital workforce. Use the code AFROPOLITAN to sign up: https://vban.com so they know you came from us}

What This Episode Reveals:

• Why treating content like a hobby guarantees poverty
• The exact pivot that takes you from $1-15 CPM
• How Asian creators are banking millions from YOUR audience
• Why “authentic local content” is a luxury only rich creators can afford
• The infrastructure play that changes everything

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The Choice Is Binary

Export or expire. Those are your options. The platforms won’t save you. The CPMs won’t save you. The CPMs won’t magically increase. The brands won’t suddenly discover Africa. But you can discover the world.

The question Adetutu leaves you with: What content are you creating that only your village understands?

Because every minute you spend creating for your neighborhood is a minute you’re not building for the globe.

PS: Know a creator still wondering why the math isn’t mathing? Forward this to them. Sometimes the truth is the kindest gift.

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Warmly,
Chika & Eche
Co-Hosts, Afropolitan Podcast