Nigerian content creators dominate TikTok Awards for Sub-Saharan Africa

Nigerian content creators dominate TikTok Awards for Sub-Saharan Africa

Nigerian creators won six out of ten categories at the 2025 TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa held on Tuesday night in Johannesburg. The event, themed ‘New Era, New Icons’, recognised top content creators across the region. The awards highlighted TikTok’s role in helping African creators reach global audiences. Winners were selected through a combination of public votes and judges’ decisions.

Raja’atu Muhammed Ibrahim (@diaryofanortherncook) from Sokoto, Nigeria, won the top prize of Creator of the Year, sponsored by NIVEA. She was recognised for her videos that document Northern Nigerian cuisine using cinematic visuals and traditional music.

Other Nigerian winners included Brian Nwana (@briannwana) from Abuja – Storyteller of the Year (sponsored by inDrive), Izzi Boye (@izziboye) – Education Creator of the Year, Belove Olocha (@beloveolocha) from Lagos – Entertainment Creator of the Year (sponsored by PEP), Dejoke Ogunbiyi (@noositiwantiwa_) from Ibadan – Social Impact Creator of the Year (sponsored by Dis-Chem), and Crown Uzama, known as Shallipopi (@theycallmeshallipopipo) from Benin City – Artist of the Year

Shallipopi’s win recognised the impact of his 2025 hit “Laho” and the viral “Plutomania” trend that spread across the continent. Creators from other countries also received awards. Fanuel John Masamaki (@zerobrainer0) from Tanzania – Video of the Year, @tunero_animations from Kenya – Rising Star of the Year, @malumfoodie from South Africa – Food Creator of the Year (sponsored by Coca-Cola), and @zozasportscast from Kenya – Sports Creator of the Year

South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania each had winners or runners-up in several categories. During the ceremony, several winners thanked TikTok for providing a platform to share African culture and build careers. Shallipopi thanked the platform for supporting upcoming artists while Olocha, on stage, spoke about being grateful she took the risk to make a career as a content creator. “Thank you to God first, and then to my mum, my family, and my community. I want to thank TikTok. I resigned from my job to do content full-time, and it has not been a waste.”

Brian Nwana, accepting his Storyteller of the Year award, said: “Every single creator is a storyteller. We all tell stories that help drive the local communities, our cities, and our countries, and when we do that, we change the perception that the world has about us.” Boniswa Sidwaba, TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the results showed strong community support for Nigerian creators. “With Nigerian creators securing six of the ten awards, we are honoured to celebrate their impact, especially as these victories were voted for by the TikTok community,” she said. She added that the ceremony recognised creators who turned short videos into cultural movements across the continent.

The event was supported by brands including NIVEA, inDrive, Coca-Cola, PEP, and Dis-Chem. It featured red-carpet arrivals, live performances, and an appearance by Shallipopi. The full ceremony was broadcast on TikTok LIVE on 11 December on the @tiktok.africa account.

The 2025 awards continue TikTok’s annual recognition of top creators in Sub-Saharan Africa. This year’s results underline Nigeria’s strong presence on the platform in categories ranging from food and education to music and social impact.

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