Nigeria’s creator economy has moved beyond skits and viral clips, with leading digital entertainers building revenue from livestreaming, brand deals, music, events, production and consumer businesses.
Nigeria’s creator economy is no longer just a side hustle. In 2026, a new generation of digital entertainers is turning short videos, livestreams and viral skits into serious businesses, from production companies and live-streaming deals to record labels, events and consumer brands.
Across the country, fame increasingly begins online. A 90-second Instagram clip, a TikTok trend or a video shared on WhatsApp and X can now create a public figure with major commercial value. These creators are not traditional Nollywood stars, musicians or politicians, but many now command audiences large enough to shape culture and attract major brands.
According to the 2026 Africa Creator Economy Report, cited by The Guardian, Africa’s creator economy is valued at $3.1bn and is projected to reach $17.8bn by 2030. The same report said more than half of African creators still earn less than $100 a month, showing that the industry is growing quickly but remains highly uneven.
This PrimeTimes list is not an audited rich list. The ranking is based on publicly available platform reach, reported earnings, visible brand activity, business ventures, cultural influence and expansion beyond social media. Exact personal earnings, private contracts and net-worth figures have not been independently verified.
Peller
Peller, also known as Hamzat Habeeb Adelaja, represents the new power of livestream entertainment in Nigeria.
He first gained attention on TikTok with a style built around street humour, wordplay and live audience interaction. His rise accelerated after he moved deeper into livestreaming, where creators can earn directly from attention, audience loyalty and real-time performance.
The draft says Peller became Kick’s first West Africa ambassador and recorded more than 260,000 concurrent live viewers during a session with Olamide. It also cites estimates placing his Kick deal above $500,000 a year and his net worth around $1.5m. Those figures should be treated as reported estimates, not verified earnings.
What is clear is that Peller has helped push livestreaming into the centre of Nigeria’s digital entertainment market.