A growing number of Nigerian content creators are raising alarm over recent algorithm changes on TikTok, saying the platform now prioritises celebrities and high-profile influencers, leaving smaller and emerging voices struggling for visibility.
Several creators report a steep drop in engagement since early 2025, with previously viral accounts now recording only a fraction of their usual reach. Many say the platform’s new content recommendation system favours established personalities over originality or creativity from lesser-known users.
“The TikTok algorithm has changed totally,” said popular Nigerian influencer Adebayo Temitayo, known online as Realjjfrosh. “Before, you didn’t need to be famous to go viral. Now, even creators with millions of followers are getting just a few thousand views. It’s not like before.”
Algorithm Overhaul Prioritises Watch Time, Authenticity
TikTok began revamping its algorithm in 2024, introducing a content delivery system that gives more weight to user engagement metrics such as watch time, rewatchability, shares, and comments. The aim, according to the company, is to elevate content that encourages authentic interaction and sustained viewer attention.
In addition, TikTok has increased efforts to penalise artificial engagement practices, including clickbait, engagement pods, and recycled content with little or no original value. While the move is designed to enhance content quality, it appears to be having unintended consequences for creators trying to grow organically.
Monetisation Still Out of Reach
For Nigerian users, the frustration extends beyond algorithm visibility. Many creators remain excluded from TikTok’s monetisation programmes—including the Creator Fund and Creativity Programme—which are unavailable in Nigeria. Without access to earnings for their content, influencers say they are losing incentive to stay on the platform.
“This new system is making things very difficult for upcoming creators,” Temitayo added. “If you’re not already famous, your videos just won’t trend like they used to.”
TikTok did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The PUNCH as of press time.
Nigeria: A Key Market Facing Rising Discontent
With millions of active users, Nigeria remains one of TikTok’s fastest-growing markets in Africa. The platform plays a central role in youth culture, music promotion, and digital entrepreneurship. But for many local creators, the recent algorithm shift represents a sharp departure from TikTok’s original appeal as a level playing field.
Globally, TikTok maintains that the changes are aimed at curbing low-effort and misleading content while promoting meaningful engagement. The company also says it supports innovation, including the use of AI, as long as the content provides value and originality.
Yet Nigerian creators say the bar for success is now increasingly unreachable for those outside celebrity circles.
“The playing field is no longer even,” one Lagos-based content strategist told The PUNCH. “TikTok needs to rethink how its global policies affect creators in emerging markets.”
As discontent grows, industry experts warn that TikTok’s continued dominance in Nigeria may depend on whether it can address local concerns, expand monetisation access, and restore visibility for up-and-coming talent.
