Manny Ita
In a significant shift within the African digital landscape, Nigerian content creators have officially claimed the majority of spots in the 2026 rankings of the continent’s most-followed live streamers. According to industry data released in late January, Nigerian streamers now occupy six out of the top ten positions across platforms like Twitch and Kick, signaling a decisive move of the continent’s “streaming capital” to West Africa.
Leading the Nigerian contingent is Carter Efe, who has successfully transitioned from comedy and music to become the most-followed Africa-based creator on Twitch with over 560,000 followers. His growth was bolstered by a record-breaking late-2025 session with Afrobeats star Davido, which reportedly gained him 139,000 followers in a single night. Trailing him is Shank Comics (258,000 followers), a pioneer who was the first Nigerian to cross the 100,000-follower mark on Twitch and recently attended Kai Cenat’s “Streamer University” in the United States.
The rankings also highlight the rise of Enzo (Rynenzo) and Peller, with the latter serving as Kick’s first Nigerian brand ambassador. Peller’s meteoric rise on TikTok and Kick has seen him break viewership records, with reports indicating he attracts up to 80,000 concurrent viewers per session. Rounding out the Nigerian presence in the top ten are creators Ojo and Lord Lamba, further solidifying the country’s national bloc.
Despite Nigeria’s volume of top-tier creators, the overall number-one spot in Africa remains held by Moroccan streamer Ilyas El Maliki, who commands a massive North African audience of over 847,000 followers on Kick. Industry analysts attribute Nigeria’s surge to high-profile celebrity collaborations and the cultural momentum generated by visits from international streaming icons like Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed. As the African streaming economy continues to professionalize, Nigeria’s dominance reflects a broader trend of “live-content” becoming a primary career path for the nation’s youth.
