Omoni Oboli’s “Love in Every Word” pulled over 30 million views on YouTube within a year. When she celebrated the milestone, there were conversations all over social media about just how much cash she raked in from that one movie.
The conversation widened to what Nigerian creators could earn on the platform and whether YouTube even paid them at all.
YouTube does pay Nigerian content creators, and you don’t need to rack up 30 million views or be a filmmaker to qualify. If you are a smaller creator, you can earn from your content too, as long as you meet YouTube’s monetization requirements.
Here’s what you need to know.
How Does YouTube Pay Nigerian Creators?
YouTube pays Nigerian creators through the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). Once your channel qualifies and gets accepted, you can earn from views on your videos and Shorts, YouTube Premium, and other eligible monetization features.
Your payments are handled through AdSense for YouTube, Google’s payment system for YouTube creators. You will need to set up your payment details and meet the payment threshold before you can receive your YouTube earnings.
However, uploading videos and getting views alone does not guarantee payment. Your channel must meet the relevant monetization requirements before you can start earning.
What Are The Requirements to Get Paid on YouTube in Nigeria?
To earn directly from YouTube, here’s what you need:
1. Subscribers
First, you need at least 500 subscribers to qualify for fan-funding features such as Channel Memberships, Super Thanks, and Super Chat, provided you also meet the other eligibility requirements. To earn ad revenue from your videos and Shorts, you need 1,000 subscribers and must meet the relevant watch-hour or Shorts-view target.
2. Watch Hours or Shorts Views Target
You must also meet the required watch-hour or Shorts-view target to qualify for monetization.
- For fan-funding features: Get 3,000 valid public watch hours within 12 months or 3 million valid public Shorts views within 90 days. You must also have uploaded at least three valid public videos in the past 90 days.
- For ad revenue sharing: Get 4,000 valid public watch hours within 12 months or 10 million valid public Shorts views within 90 days.
Watch hours measure the total time people spend watching your public long-form videos. Watch time from the Shorts feed doesn’t count towards the watch-hour target.
3. Follow YouTube’s Monetization Policies
Your videos must comply with the platform’s content guidelines, copyright rules, and other relevant policies before you can earn. So, original content that follows the platform’s rules will give your channel a better chance of approval.
4. Secure Your Google Account
Enable two-step verification on the Google Account linked to your YouTube channel, and make sure you have access to YouTube’s advanced features.
5. Have No Active Community Guidelines Strikes
Your channel must have no active Community Guidelines strikes when you apply to join the YouTube Partner Program. The platform prohibits scams, harassment, and certain forms of violent content, and issues strikes when it determines that a channel has violated these rules.
6. Set Up AdSense for YouTube
You need to create and link an AdSense for YouTube account to receive your earnings. You can do this through YouTube Studio during the application process or by connecting an existing account.
Once you meet these requirements, you can apply through the Earn section in YouTube Studio.
How Much Does YouTube Pay Nigerian Creators?
YouTube does not pay a fixed amount. As a rough estimate, you could earn around $0.50 to $2 per 1,000 views on regular videos or $0.01 to $0.03 per 1,000 views on YouTube Shorts.
These figures can vary considerably depending on your channel and audience. Your earnings depend on several factors, including:
1. Where your viewers live
The location of your audience can affect how much you earn from ads and other monetization opportunities. Having viewers in countries like the UK or the US can help you earn more than having viewers in other countries.
2. Your content niche
Your niche can influence your advertising rates, the brands interested in working with you, and the products or services you can promote. For example, a finance creator may attract different sponsorship opportunities from a comedy creator.
3. Video type
Regular videos and YouTube Shorts have different monetization systems. As a result, the same number of views can generate different earnings depending on the format.
4. How you monetize your channel
Your earnings also depend on the monetization features you use. Ad revenue, YouTube Premium, and fan-funding features such as channel memberships can contribute to your income in different ways, depending on your eligibility.
This is why two Nigerian creators with similar view counts can earn very different amounts.
How Can Nigerian Creators Make Money on YouTube?
As a Nigerian creator, you can earn through:
1. Advertising Revenue
Once YouTube approves your channel for ad revenue sharing, you can earn money from ads shown on your videos. These are the ads viewers see before or during a video, or alongside content. You can also earn from ads displayed in the Shorts feed.
YouTube shares some of the revenue with eligible creators. The amount you receive depends on how much revenue your content generates.
2. YouTube Premium
Some people pay for Premium so they can watch videos without ads. When these subscribers watch your content, you can earn a share of their subscription fees if your channel qualifies.
In other words, your videos can earn you money from eligible Premium viewers even when they don’t watch ads.
3. Channel Memberships and Fan-Funding Features
You can also make money when viewers pay to support your channel. For example, Channel Memberships let your audience pay a monthly fee in exchange for perks such as exclusive videos, members-only posts, or special badges.
Other features allow viewers to support you in different ways. Super Thanks allows viewers to pay to show appreciation for a video, while Super Chat and Super Stickers let them pay to highlight messages or send animated stickers during live streams.
4. Brand Sponsorships and Partnerships
Brands can also pay you to feature their products or services in your videos.
For example, a skincare company might pay you to demonstrate its products, or a phone brand might sponsor a review. Your earnings depend on the agreement you reach with each brand, your audience, and the value you offer.
5. Affiliate Marketing and Selling Products or Services
Affiliate marketing allows you to earn a commission by recommending another company’s products. You share a special link with your audience, and when someone buys through that link, you earn a commission if the purchase meets the programme’s terms.
You can also sell your own products or services through your channel. These could include clothes, e-books, online courses, or services such as photography and graphic design.
YouTube is Finally Paying You: Here’s the Best Way to Receive Your Earnings
YouTube usually pays Nigerian creators in dollars, so having a reliable dollar account makes receiving your earnings easier. With Pouchers, you can open a USD Account in minutes and receive your YouTube payments directly into it.
Follow these steps to get started:
Step 1: Download the Pouchers App and Complete KYC
Download the Pouchers app, create an account or log in, and complete your KYC verification.
Step 2: Choose USD
At the top of your dashboard, select USD as the currency you want to activate.
Step 3: Activate Your Account
After selecting USD, you’ll see options for Stablecoin and Fiat. Select Fiat, then tap Activate Fiat. On the next screen, tap Activate USD Account to continue.
Step 4: Provide Your Details
Accept the Terms of Use and provide your personal details, identification document, selfie, source of funds, occupation, and other required account information.
Step 5: Get Your Account Details
Submit your application for approval. Once approved, you can find your account and routing numbers in the app. These are the details you will provide to receive your YouTube payments.
How to Manage Your YouTube Earnings on Pouchers
Once your payment arrives, you can manage your funds directly from the Pouchers app.
You can:
1. Save in Dollars
You can save your earnings in dollars instead of converting everything to naira immediately. This gives you the flexibility to decide when to exchange your money and can help preserve its Naira value if the exchange rate rises.
For example, if you receive $100 when the exchange rate is ₦1,500 to $1, you would get ₦150,000 if you converted it immediately. If the rate later rises to ₦1,600 to $1, you could get ₦160,000 for the same $100.
2. Convert your funds to Naira with no conversion fees
When you need Naira for your everyday expenses, you can convert your dollar balance directly in the Pouchers app. Naira conversion on Pouchers is completely free and fast, and you can send the funds to any Nigerian bank in seconds.
3. Get a Virtual Dollar Card for international payments
You can also use your dollar balance to fund your Pouchers virtual dollar card directly from the app. With the card, you can pay for services such as Netflix, Spotify, and Prime Video, as well as shop on international platforms like Sephora and Amazon. The card also works at physical stores that accept contactless payments from virtual cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many subscribers do I need to get paid on YouTube in Nigeria?
You can start earning money through certain YouTube monetization features with 500 subscribers. For ad revenue sharing, you generally need 1,000 subscribers as well as other requirements we listed.
2. How much does YouTube pay for 1,000 views in Nigeria?
YouTube doesn’t have a fixed rate for every 1,000 views. As a rough estimate, regular videos might earn around $0.50 to $2 per 1,000 views, while Shorts may earn around $0.01 to $0.03. Your actual earnings can be higher or lower depending on your channel and audience.
3. How long does it take to receive my payment in Nigeria?
The platform usually issues payments between the 21st and 26th of the month. After the payment is issued, an international wire transfer to a regular bank can take up to 15 business days to arrive. However, with Pouchers, your payment should typically arrive in your USD Account within one business day.
Sources Used:
- YouTube Partner Programme overview and eligibility — YouTube Help
- YouTube monetisation features and ways to earn — YouTube Help
- How YouTube pays creators and when payments are issued — YouTube Help
- Available payment methods for AdSense for YouTube — YouTube Help
