More than 70% of faith-based content creators in Nigeria earn no revenue from their content despite the growing use of digital platforms to distribute religious and faith-driven stories, according to a new report on the country’s faith-based media ecosystem.

The report was produced by the Creative Economy Practice at CcHUB with support from the Gates Foundation.

The study examined faith-based storytelling across film, television and digital content creation in Nigeria and Kenya, with the Nigerian research covering Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

For its digital media analysis, the researchers initially collected 75,234 YouTube records using publicly accessible platform APIs.

Also Read

After cleaning and classification, the dataset was reduced to 8,334 Nigerian YouTube storyteller channels, alongside 5,164 channels in Kenya. The channels were classified according to themes including faith and religious narratives, inspirational stories, cultural heritage, news, moral lessons and African cinematic drama.

What the data is saying

Digital creators use social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram to distribute faith-driven content including skits, web series, devotionals, prayer sessions and motivational videos. The report notes that a growing number of young influencers and comedians are combining spirituality with humour, lifestyle and social commentary.

The report found significant disparities in the ability of faith-based creators to turn their audiences and content into income.

  • “In our survey, 71% of content creators reported earning no revenue from their content.”
  • Only 5% of the creators surveyed reported earning more than $10,000 monthly, while men were more likely to occupy the highest income bracket, with 6.7% earning at least $10,000 monthly compared with 2.8% of women.
  • The report cites Pastor Jerry Eze as an example of a faith creator earning significant income from YouTube, putting his monthly earnings at more than $80,000.
  • The report attributes part of the monetisation gap to the way faith-based storytelling is understood within religious communities. Many storytellers view their work primarily as ministry rather than commercial content, while others attempt to balance ministry with commercial opportunities.

Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, for instance, is cited as an example of a faith creator who does not monetise his online prayer session, the Hallelujah Challenge. The report also notes that 5% of respondents specifically choose not to monetise their content.

The YouTube analysis also shows the scale of the potential market. Of the 8,334 Nigerian YouTube storyteller channels analysed, 42% were classified as faith-based, while 58% were non-faith channels. Individual creators accounted for 92.3% of the channels, with organisations accounting for 7.7%.

Gender-equitable storytelling in faith-based media

The report found that gender representation in Nigeria’s faith-based media remains largely conservative, with men more frequently portrayed in positions of authority while women are associated with traditional family and caregiving roles.

  • Men are predominantly portrayed as provider husbands or fathers, accounting for 49% of identified portrayals, or as male spiritual leaders at 36%. Women, meanwhile, are most commonly portrayed as submissive wives at 39% and sacrificial mothers at 31%.
  • The imbalance extends beyond fictional characters to the people producing the content. Women account for only 13% of directors, producers and writers in the Nigerian faith-based film ecosystem and just 3.6% of technical crew. In television, women occupy less than 20% of decision-making and production roles.
  • Despite these disparities, the report found considerable openness to gender-equitable storytelling. While 79% of storytellers said they were unaware of faith-based gender-equity frameworks, 88% agreed that religious values and gender equality can coexist in storytelling.

The report also found that 38.73% of Nigerian storytellers focus on both faith and gender content, although this group records the lowest overall audience reach, with most channels receiving fewer than 10,000 views.

What you should know

Nigeria is a deeply religious society, and faith-based institutions and leaders exert influence well beyond worship, extending into education, politics, community life, culture and media. The report describes faith-based media as a highly trusted channel capable of shaping social attitudes and norms.

The intersection of faith, media and economic activity reflects the broader evolution identified in the report. Religious leaders and institutions are no longer operating only through traditional worship spaces. They are increasingly using digital platforms, entertainment, partnerships and other forms of public engagement to reach audiences.