By Juliet Umeh
Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy is getting a structural upgrade as YouTube and Woof Studios launch PluggedIn, a new initiative designed to solve one of the creator economy’s biggest challenges: turning creative influence into sustainable, brand-driven business growth.
For years, Nigerian creators have battled a fragmented ecosystem, inconsistent brand deals, limited funding, and lack of production support — even as YouTube watch time has surged over 50 percent year-on-year, reaching more than 30 million adults monthly.
The PluggedIn program is now positioning itself as a bridge between content creators and brands, fostering long-term, community-based partnerships instead of one-off ad placements.
According to a new survey, 47% of Nigerian YouTube creators now operate full-time, reflecting a sector that’s maturing fast — but still in need of professional structures to scale.
Industry Manager at Google, Dammy Abodunrin, said: “The fundamental rule of marketing has changed. Consumers now choose to spend time with creators they trust.
“PluggedIn helps brands collaborate meaningfully with those creators, telling their stories through voices audiences already believe in.”
The initiative, unveiled in Lagos, brought together top creators, advertisers, and creative agencies for a full-day session of idea pitching, brand clinics, and mentorship panels. The focus: helping creators grow from single-video sponsorships into serial content projects that deliver long-term brand equity and measurable audience engagement.
Ifeyinwa Mogekwu, creator of Ify’s Kitchen, said PluggedIn solves a long-standing problem — the lack of funding and production backing to scale creative storytelling.
“My community loves food, but they also love the stories behind it,” she said. “For years, I wanted to create bigger projects — travel cooking shows, documentaries — but funding was a barrier. PluggedIn gives us a way to work with brands that value storytelling over simple ads.”
Founder and Creative Director of Woof Studios, Adetutu Laditan, said the initiative was built to professionalize the creator economy by removing friction points in production and partnerships.
“We’re helping creators think like media businesses — structuring deals, managing budgets, and delivering data-driven results for brands,” she said.
“PluggedIn isn’t just a campaign; it’s a system for sustainable collaboration.”
For marketers, the opportunity is clear. Research shows two-thirds of consumers discover new products or brands via YouTube, making creators key players in influencing purchase decisions. Yet many brands have struggled to tap into that power due to inconsistent collaboration models.
PluggedIn aims to close that gap by standardizing creator-brand partnerships through co-creation frameworks, ensuring that content resonates authentically while delivering measurable business impact.
Early feedback from participating brands suggests that the model may redefine influencer marketing in Nigeria — moving it from transaction-based sponsorships to community-driven storytelling that builds loyalty and cultural relevance.
As Nigeria’s digital and creative sectors continue to converge, PluggedIn represents a timely intervention — one that transforms content creators into creative entrepreneurs, and brands into cultural collaborators.
“It’s not just about ads anymore,” Abodunrin said. “It’s about shared storytelling that benefits creators, brands, and communities alike.”
