Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on floor of the senate
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, has raised concern over disparities in payments to Nigerian content creators on global platforms.
She described the situation as unfair and detrimental to the country’s growing digital economy.
Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke on Thursday during the second reading of the bill to amend the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) 2025, sponsored by Tokunbo Abiru, senator representing Lagos east.
The senator highlighted the economic potential of social media for young Nigerians.
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“Today, many of our youths have found careers and jobs on social media,” she said.
“One particular trend that is worthy of mention is the huge discrepancy in payments for transactions carried out on Facebook in Nigeria compared to the United States.”
Akpoti-Uduahan noted that social media has become a critical source of income for youths and urged the financial sector to support the rapidly growing digital workforce.
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“I’m speaking for the content creators because, trust me, social media has become a very critical source of income for our youths,” she said.
“For example, a youth airing a promotional video in America is paid between $10 and $30 for 1,000 views. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the same video posted on the same platform earns only 50 cents per 1,000 views.”
She warned that such inequities threaten financial inclusion and the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, calling for stronger engagement with global tech firms to ensure fairness and transparency.
The senator urged stronger regulatory engagement with global tech firms and financial service providers, saying Nigeria must guarantee fairness, transparency and equitable earnings for its citizens in the global digital content economy.
The bill, which seeks to strengthen oversight of institutions deemed critical to financial system stability, was subsequently referred to the relevant senate committee for further legislative action.
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