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The pursuit of monetization on Facebook and other social media platforms has driven content creators to adopt increasingly outrageous and sometimes dangerous means.
With Facebook’s monetization programme rewarding engagement through views, likes and shares, many creators resort to sensationalised content, including extreme pranks and staged videos.
While some of these strategies succeed in capturing attention, they also pose serious risks, including physical harm, psychological distress and the spread of misinformation.
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The Rise of Facebook Monetization in Nigeria
Facebook introduced several monetization features, such as in-stream ads, fan subscriptions, and Stars, allowing content creators to generate revenue directly from their videos and live streams.
This shift has led to a surge in local influencers, comedians, skit makers, and news curators vying for audience engagement. The more views, likes, and shares a video garners, the higher the revenue potential. For many Nigerian youth, Facebook has become not just a social platform but a career path.
Content Trends and Strategies
To succeed in this competitive space, Nigerian creators have adapted various content strategies:
Comedy skits: Short, engaging, and often culturally relevant, comedy skits dominate the Nigerian content scene. Creators like Mark Angel, Brain Jotter, and Sabinus have built large followings with relatable humor.
News and gossip pages: Pages that focus on trending news, celebrity gossip, and social issues drive significant engagement, often relying on clickbait-style headlines and sensational storytelling.
Motivational and religious content: Given Nigeria’s deeply religious audience, faith-based content also garners massive engagement, with pastors and motivational speakers leveraging Facebook for outreach and monetization.
Do it yourself and educational content: Some creators provide value-driven content such as tutorials, business tips, and academic insights to attract audiences interested in learning.
Challenges and Risks
Despite the financial opportunities, the Facebook monetization craze comes with challenges:
Oversaturation: With more creators joining the space, competition has become fierce, making it difficult for new entrants to break through.
Platform policies and demonetization: Frequent changes in Facebook’s policies, content restrictions, and the risk of demonetization pose a significant threat to creators who rely solely on the platform for income.
Misinformation and sensationalism: The rush for virality has led to an increase in misleading content, with some creators spreading false information to attract engagement.
Cybersecurity concerns: Hackers and scammers often target content creators’ pages, leading to potential financial losses.
The Rise of Extreme Pranks
One of the most alarming trends among content creators seeking Facebook monetization is the rise of extreme pranks.
Pranksters are currently trying to dominate the skit mating space in Nigeria. However, several Nigerians are already worried about the extreme content they are dishing out.
For instance: Prank videos by MC Makopolo, Machigold, Zfancy, TrinityGuy, Kolobo and others abound.
For example, MC Makopolo, in one of his pranks, was seen making calls along the street on a lonely road.
Suddenly, after sighting an innocent young man with tinted hair, he said “yeah, I’ve seen someone with grey hair. I think we can use him for the sacrifice”.
In one of Zfancy’s pranks, he went about people’s homes and shops claiming that he gave someone money and he turned to fish. These pranks made people hostile to him and run for their lives whenever they see him.
Also, people have identified extreme pranks with TrinityGuy because of the manner he usually created content. In one of his contents called Assasin prank, the guy was seen threatening to kill a man because he has been paid to do so.
In 2023, Trinityguy was arrested when he asked a ‘little girl’ to describe colour of his private part in viral skit video. He was subsequently remanded.
Some pranks have gone as far as simulating life-threatening situations, such as fake kidnappings, robbery scares, and even staged assaults. These pranks, while often intended for entertainment, have led to dangerous consequences:
The Problem of Fake Videos
Another troubling trend among content creators is the fabrication of fake videos designed to mislead audiences for engagement. These videos range from scripted “miracle” transformations to fake charity acts, misleading crime reports, and falsified testimonies. Some common types of fake videos include:
Staged Charitable Acts: Some creators pretend to help the less privileged but stage the entire act with actors, misleading audiences into believing in their generosity.
Fake Crime Incidents: Videos depicting false crime scenes, kidnappings, or police confrontations create unnecessary panic and contribute to misinformation.
False Health Remedies: Some videos promote unverified health treatments or home remedies, which can be dangerous when taken seriously by unsuspecting viewers.
These fake videos undermine public trust in social media content, making it harder for genuine content creators to thrive. They also contribute to the spread of misinformation, which can have serious social consequences.
Facebook’s Role and Response
Facebook has implemented monetization policies that emphasize originality, community standards, and content authenticity. However, enforcement remains a challenge. Some key measures taken by Facebook include:
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Pranksters will be arrested, say police
The Nigerian Police Force wants pranksters to regulate their acts which it says are “exposing people to all forms of dangers.”
The police have warned that some pranks are “getting out of hand.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, addressed this in a video shared to journalists.
The police spokesman, especially, warned social media pranksters, who make use of guns in their skits to stop doing so.
He said officers could mistake them for criminals with real guns.
He also said the police may be forced to clamp down on some pranksters
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