How Digital Platforms Are Reshaping African Storytelling

By Dr. M.M ABBA

Of all the social media platforms we engage with daily, few are intentionally designed to foreground the beauty and depth of storytelling. Yet storytelling remains one of humanity’s oldest technologies. In many African homes, generations grew up listening to tales narrated by grandparents, often grandmothers, under moonlit skies or in quiet courtyards. These stories were never told for mere entertainment. They carried memory, identity, caution, humour, resilience, and moral instruction. Lessons were woven subtly into the plot and the proverb, shaping how children understood community, responsibility, and dignity.

Today, the paradigm has shifted. Children and adolescents increasingly inhabit digital spaces rather than communal courtyards. Their stories are mediated through global algorithms and dominated by fast-paced, Western-centric narratives that often privilege virality over depth. In this transition, something essential risks being diluted: the authenticity of the African voice and perspective. This shift also signals a broader trend in digital infrastructure, where platforms builtlocally are creating new ways to preserve and amplify authentic storytelling. Across the continent, there is growing recognition that narrative sovereignty matters. African filmmakers, writers, podcasters, and digital creators have steadily expanded their reach, telling stories that reflect lived realities rather than borrowed templates. The success of African literature festivals, the global recognition of contemporary African authors, and the rise of indigenous language content online all point to a hunger for stories rooted in place and experience. Platforms such as Blogshop illustrate how digital environments can structure narrative continuity, allowing creators to maintain persistent portfolios that reflect skill, identity, and audience engagement over time.

The implications extend beyond nostalgia. Storytelling is increasingly linked to economic participation and social influence. In the digital era, stories shape brand identities, political discourse, community mobilization, and even development agendas. A platform that encourages authentic African narratives has the potential to strengthen local creative industries while offering audiences alternative frames of reference. At the same time, the cumulative and discoverable nature of work on such platforms signals a shiftin professional norms, which may influence how future African creators are evaluated globally. Yet balance demands acknowledging the inherent risks of any social media platform.

Algorithmic visibility, content moderation, digital security, and sustainability are challenges that confront even the most well-intentioned initiatives. Without careful governance, digital spaces can replicate the same inequalities they seek to challenge. There is also the question of audience migration. Convincing users accustomed to global platforms to invest time in emerging African platforms requires trust, usability, and consistent value.

Nevertheless, early indicators suggest that audiences are increasingly receptive to homegrown digital platforms. African youth are not merely consumers; they are creators, entrepreneurs, and digital strategists. Many actively seek platforms that reflect their identities without distortion. The appeal of these spaces lies not only in their origin but in their promise of representation without misrepresentation. They also offer infrastructure that supports long-term visibility and professional growth, a feature thatinvestors and creators alike are beginning to notice. What distinguishes this moment is not simply the existence of another social media platform. It is the symbolism embedded in its creation and the structural implications for African digital storytelling. For decades, African stories have often been filtered through external lenses, sometimes sympathetically, sometimes inaccurately. Platforms that center African storytelling affirm a subtle but powerful shift: the right to narrate one’s own complexities and preserve them across time.

The forward-looking question is whether these platforms can sustain momentum while fostering inclusive participation across the continent’s linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic diversity. Africa is not monolithic. Its storytelling traditions vary widely, and digital infrastructure remains uneven. Bridging these divides will require thoughtful design, community engagement, and partnerships with educators, creatives, and media institutions. There is also an opportunity for integration rather than isolation. African digital storytelling platforms need not exist in opposition to global platforms. Instead, they can serve as repositories and incubators, nurturing stories in their original form before they travel outward. In doing so, they could position African narratives not as peripheral content but as central contributions to global discourse.

In the end, the return to storytelling in digital form is less about technology and more about continuity. The mediums have changed, from fireside gatherings to smartphone screens, but the human need to tell and hear stories remains constant. If these platforms succeed,they will serve as bridges between ancestral memory and digital possibility, showing that Africa’s gift is not only its stories but also the capacity to tellthem within its own digital infrastructure.

Dr. Murjanatu M. Abba, Senior Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication/ Communications Officer ACENTDFB, A.B.U, Zaria

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