…Rewards Winners at PodFest Naija 2026
Barely two months after its launch, Yolly, the new social entertainment platform by Starbase Technologies, is gaining attention among emerging digital creators and innovators in Nigeria with its creator-focused monetisation model.
Yolly’s Head of Business, Emeka Okenwa, disclosed this during a panel session at PodFest Naija 2026, held on September 25 at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Okenwa said the platform’s unique selling points include rewarding users for watching, streaming and creating content, while also allowing creators to earn from their first stream.
“We believe that a lot of Nigerian creators are being shortchanged and the earning capacity of our creators are way below the earnings of their contemporaries outside Nigeria,” he said.
He said Yolly was designed to reduce the barriers that prevent emerging creators from earning from their content until they build large followings.
“With Yolly, we are trying to remove that barrier that until you have huge followers before you can earn value. If you have one user, you can as well have the value of that user,” Okenwa said.
He added that the platform was designed to address payment challenges faced by African creators.
“Some payment platforms do not support what we do here in Africa. With Yolly, it is by Africans for Africa and you can also get your payment as at when due, no matter the currency involved,” he said.
As part of its support for emerging talent, Yolly rewarded Kelvin Raphael and Samson Tara Igarama, who emerged as the first and second runners-up respectively in the Next Big Podcaster category, with N500,000 each.
Okenwa said the sponsorship was part of the company’s commitment to helping new creators gain visibility and develop their careers.
“Yolly sponsored the 2nd and 3rd place winners of The Next Big Podcast as a way of giving new entrants a platform to be seen and heard as well as empowering them beyond their expectations,” he said.
According to him, the platform’s model differs from conventional creator monetisation systems, where financial opportunities are often concentrated among creators who already have large audiences.
He said one of Yolly’s key propositions was enabling emerging creators to earn from their first stream without having to meet a minimum follower threshold.
Reacting to his success in the competition, Raphael described the recognition as a significant moment in his creative journey.
“This is a big moment for me, and I am genuinely grateful to Yolly for supporting this competition and sponsoring the prize. This has given me even more motivation to keep creating and pushing myself,” he said.
Tara also expressed appreciation for the platform’s support, saying the opportunity would encourage her to continue creating content.
“I am really excited about winning, but beyond the prize itself, I appreciate Yolly for creating this opportunity where emerging creators like me can be seen and encouraged,” she said.
“Yolly’s support tells me that my work matters, and I hope more organisations and individuals will continue to invest in young creative talents.”
Yolly was launched on August 1, 2026, with a focus on enabling internet users and creators to share in the value generated through their participation on the platform.
The platform offers content across various categories, including music, entertainment, sports, comedy, lifestyle, education, technology and fitness.
