Nigerian artists, content creators to benefit from $100mn YouTube fund

Nigerian artists and content creators can apply to benefit from a $100 million fund set up by YouTube, through what it calls the ‘Black Voices Fund’, which over the next three years will offer support to Black artists and creators so that they can thrive on the platform.

Alex Okosi, MD, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA, said in a statement that the Black Voices Fund will invest with the intention to “present fresh narratives that emphasise the intellectual power, authenticity, dignity and joy of Black voices, as well as to educate audiences about racial justice”.

Okosi also explained that the fund will be focusing its efforts on creators within the US, Brazil and Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. “Our goal is to expand funding to more countries over the course of the next three years,” he said. “Additionally, we hope to provide a consistent drumbeat of educational training, workshops, and community events to Black creators and artists globally.”

The #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund is part of the work currently underway to ensure that YouTube is a place where Black artists, creators and users can share their stories and be protected.

“Along with our commitment to amplifying marginalised voices on the content side, we are also investing in product and policy changes that will continue to advance YouTube’s mission of giving everyone a voice and showing them the world,” Okosi added.

YouTube in the statement said it believes that it is only by taking a stand against those who would try to bully, harass, silence and intimidate others that it truly moves closer to achieving this mission. Its new efforts include ramping up enforcement and terminating more accounts that repeatedly post hateful comments. It is also in the process of rolling out product changes to make creator moderation tools more streamlined.

Interested artists and creators can apply for funding via https://www.youtube.com/intl/ALL_ng/creators/ytbvoicesfund/