Digital content creators have been urged to look beyond sponsored posts and brand endorsements by developing original content into commercially viable intellectual property, as stakeholders seek more sustainable business models for Nigeria’s growing creator economy.

The call was made at YouTube PluggedIN 2026, held at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, where industry players advocated stronger partnerships between creators and brands to develop content properties with long-term commercial value.

The summit, themed ‘Beyond the Placement: Rethinking How Brands Work with Creators’, brought together brand executives, advertising professionals and digital creators to explore ways of turning online popularity into sustainable creative businesses.

Founder and Creative Director of Woof Studios Africa, Adetutu Laditan, said creators needed business structures, funding, production expertise and distribution support to transform viral content into lasting enterprises.

Laditan, a former Google executive, said Nigerian creators had the potential to develop their ideas into television series, films and global franchises rather than depend solely on the income generated from individual campaigns.

“Our vision at Woof Studios has always been to empower African creators to move beyond virality and build lasting, profitable enterprises. Nigerian creators are thinking bigger, and forward-thinking brands want to be part of that evolution,” she said.

She said the relationship between creators and brands should extend beyond the purchase of audience attention to the development of content that serves commercial objectives without compromising the creator’s distinctive voice.

According to her, creators who understand brands’ business goals and brands that respect creators’ creative identities are better positioned to develop stories with lasting value.

Group Chief Executive Officer of Insight Redefini, Babatunde Olaifa, also called for a shift from conventional influencer campaigns to partnerships that allow brands and creators to develop and co-own intellectual property.

“This is not about an influencer campaign; this is about the creative economy space. It cannot just be about buying attention. We have to bring both parties together to tell stories that matter to the brand, to the creators, and to the audiences,” Olaifa said.

He said brands could provide the investment and distribution needed to turn promising creative ideas into sustainable content properties, adding that his organisation aimed to connect brands with leading Nigerian creators to develop and co-own intellectual property.

Among the creators who attended were Kiekie, Taoma, Aproko Doctor and Ify’s Kitchen. They shared perspectives on navigating brand partnerships while maintaining their creative identities and delivering commercial value.