YouTube, on Africa Month, reaffirms support for its creators, music industry

BY ONOME AMUGE

YouTube, the popular online video community, has lined up a series of events to run throughout the month of May in celebration of Africa month, a period held in commemoration of the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now known as African Union (AU).

The events, including the third annual YouTube Africa Day concert in Nigeria on May 25, are intended to bolster YouTube’s commitment to growing Africa’s creator ecosystem and to spotlight and celebrate the artists and creatives who are driving the growth of Africa’s music industry. It also targets supporting participants toward building audiences around the globe, while growing their businesses and generating revenue.

In this regard, it is offering content creators in the continent support through virtual and in-person training and workshops to help them grow their channels and improve their skills.

YouTube, in a statement said this would be done under a number of programmes, including Creator 360 virtual workshop, which will allow African content creators to collaborate and share skills; and in-person Creator Day workshops, led by industry experts to help aspiring creators learn the skills they need to continue thriving on the video platform.

In addition, it said it will offer workshops under its Future Insiders Programme to empower budding producers and songwriters with hands-on training taught by seasoned producers such as Sarz and Musa Keys.

Meanwhile, the YouTube Africa Day Concert, in partnership with Idris Elba, a renowned British actor/musician, will return for the third year in a row as part of the Africa Month lineup. The concert, set to commemorate Africa Day by using music as a platform to showcase African culture, will include an in-person event in Nigeria that will be live-streamed on YouTube, featuring some of the continent’s notable artists.

Commenting on the month-long programme, Alex Okosi, managing director, emerging markets, YouTube EMEA, said: “We are incredibly proud, at YouTube, to provide a platform that shares Africa’s creativity with the rest of the world. From music, fashion, and beauty to the latest trending movements, YouTube plays an important role in the emergence and expression of Africa’s unique cultural stories to local and global audiences.”

Okosi noted further that commemorating Africa Month through the impactful initiatives, is a continuation of Youtube’s efforts to spotlight, and elevate the work of creators and artists who are at the forefront of the continent’s creative explosion.