Top 10 YouTube Creators in Nigeria for 2025

The 2025 YouTube Creator rankings in Nigeria deliver a resounding verdict: the audience’s appetite for long form narrative content is insatiable, positioning Nollywood actors, producers, and indigenous filmmakers as the undisputed digital champions. This list shows that success is measured not by viral short clips, but by total watch time driven by feature length movies and serialized dramas.

Omoni Oboli TV

Leading the charge as the Top Creator of the Year is veteran actress and filmmaker Omoni Oboli. Her channel, Omoni Oboli TV. She leverages her massive brand recognition to host her own high production-value movies and series. Crucially, she supplements this with personalized lifestyle vlogs and behind the scenes content. Her success in the industry is a blueprint for established stars looking to control their own distribution narrative.

Itelediconstudio

The Yoruba Film Kingpin securing the second spot, Itelediconstudio, run by actor and producer Ibrahim Yekini (Itele D Icon), underscores the digital power of Yoruba language cinema. The channel focuses on high-quality, culturally rich indigenous films and short series. Itelediconstudio’s content resonates deeply with the Yoruba diaspora and local audience, generating massive, highly loyal watch time.

Uchenna Mbunabo TV

A powerhouse in the East, Uchenna Mbunabo TV is a prime example of a film producer successfully transitioning into a massive digital distributor. The channel is dedicated almost entirely to uploading full length Nollywood movies and serial dramas, bypassing traditional distribution routes. Mbunabo’s ranking demonstrates that access to a high volume of quality, polished movie content is a key driver for millions of Nigerian viewers who treat the channel as a free, on demand streaming service.

Saira Movies

The presence of Saira Movies at number four highlights the immense digital influence of Kannywood, the Hausa-language film industry based in Northern Nigeria. Run by filmmaker Aminu Saira, the channel caters to a massive Hausa-speaking audience across Nigeria and West Africa. Its high ranking confirms that regional, culturally specific content has incredible digital market power and viewership loyalty.

Maurice Sam TV

Actor Maurice Sam follows the increasingly common trend for Nollywood talent: transforming a personal brand into a distribution platform. Maurice Sam TV features a constant upload schedule of full length movies, often starring himself. This shows that when viewers connect with an actor’s personality, they are highly motivated to follow them directly to their own distribution channel, thus increasing the actor’s creative and financial control.

RuthKadiri247

Actress and filmmaker Ruth Kadiri has built one of the most reliable digital brands in the industry. Her channel, RuthKadiri247, is known for its consistent output of emotional dramas and relatable short series. Her high ranking is a testament to the power of a relentless and professional upload schedule, which keeps her vast audience continuously engaged and coming back for the next release of her work.

APATATV+

APATATV+ is a major force in distributing Yoruba language films and dramas. Unlike creator led channels, APATATV+ is a dedicated production and distribution house, operating as a vital aggregator of indigenous cinema. Its high position underscores the mass appeal of professionally packaged Yoruba movie content and the public’s continuous demand for cultural storytelling.

Uche Montana TV

Actress Uche Montana’s channel success mirrors that of her peers, focusing on uploading full movies and series. As a rising star, her high ranking indicates that the new generation of Nollywood actors are prioritizing direct to consumer digital distribution right from the start of their careers, recognizing YouTube as the most crucial platform for building long term audience loyalty.

Sonia Uche TV

Rounding out the Nollywood domination is Sonia Uche TV. Like the others, this channel focuses on high-drama, emotionally engaging full-length movies that capture the typical Nollywood viewing experience. Her channel’s success further reinforces the fact that narrative continuity and long-form storytelling are the core metrics for success on Nigerian YouTube.

Brain Jotter

The only non-movie channel to crack the Top 10, Brain Jotter, demonstrates the immense difficulty comedy skit makers face in competing with movie channels for watch time. While comedy skits are massive on other platforms, Brain Jotter’s ability to break into this movie-dominated list is a huge achievement. His success is built on a recognizable brand, consistent comedic timing, and viral catchphrases, proving that genuine, high-quality humor can still get enough collective views to compete on the platform.

YouTube Eyes the Oscars: Streaming Giant’s Interest Puts Spotlight on ABC’s Longstanding Deal

The Academy Awards, one of the most prestigious events in global entertainment, could soon find itself at the center of a broadcasting shake-up. According to fresh reports from Bloomberg and other outlets, YouTube has formally expressed interest in acquiring broadcast and streaming rights to the Oscars, positioning itself as a challenger to the traditional network dominance that has defined the ceremony for decades.

YouTube’s Ambition to Host the Oscars

YouTube, with its 2.7 billion monthly users, has long cemented its status as the world’s most influential video platform. Its recent inquiry into Oscars rights is being hailed by industry watchers as a bold move that could redefine how audiences experience live cultural events. The appeal is clear: while traditional television viewership has steadily declined, YouTube thrives among younger demographics who increasingly consume live events and highlights online rather than through cable television.

Analysts argue that the Oscars’ migration to YouTube. If this happens, it could inject the ceremony with fresh relevance. Features like live chat, polls, real-time audience engagement, and instant replay clips could make the show interactive in ways traditional TV cannot match.

ABC’s Standing Contract: A Barrier to Entry

However, YouTube’s ambitions face a significant hurdle. ABC currently holds exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to the Oscars through 2028, under a contract signed with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2016. This deal not only secures ABC’s coverage but also extends its global distribution partnerships.

The partnership between ABC and the Oscars is longstanding, dating back to 1976. While viewership has fluctuated over the years, hitting historic lows in the 2020s—ABC has retained the prestige of hosting Hollywood’s biggest night. For YouTube to step in, it would either need to negotiate terms for after 2028, or strike an unprecedented arrangement that coexists alongside ABC’s deal, which appears unlikely.

What This Means for the Oscars

The Oscars have battled declining TV ratings in recent years, prompting the Academy to explore new ways of reaching younger and global audiences. Moving to a digital-first platform like YouTube could potentially address both challenges:

  • Global Reach: YouTube’s international accessibility could expand the Oscars’ footprint beyond traditional TV markets.  
  • Youth Engagement: With Gen Z and millennials spending far more time on YouTube than cable, the ceremony could reclaim cultural relevance.
  • Interactivity: Live engagement features could transform a passive viewing experience into an active, social one.

On the other hand, such a move raises questions about prestige and tradition. Would streaming dilute the Oscars’ aura as a formal, televised event? Could the Academy risk alienating long-time audiences who still prefer the TV broadcast format?

For now, ABC’s standing contract means YouTube’s interest remains speculative. But the fact that YouTube is actively inquiring about rights signals a shifting tide in entertainment broadcasting. If the Oscars were to transition to YouTube in the future, it could mark one of the most significant cultural and technological shifts in awards-show history.
One thing is clear: the conversation about where the Oscars belong in the digital era has officially begun.

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