.Rewards winners at PodFest Naija 2026
Bennett Oghifo
Barely two months after launching Yolly, its new social entertainment platform, Starbase Technologies, a global technology ecosystem encouraging creators and innovators to build technology solutions and launch software projects, has begun to excite burgeoning digital creators and innovators in Nigeria with the platform.
Speaking during a panel session at the PodFest Naija 2026 which took place on September 25, at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, Yolly’s Head of Business, Emeka Okenwa said that the Unique Selling Points of Yolly were both in rewarding users for watching, streaming and creating content, as well as allowing creators to earn from their first stream.
Okenwa added, “We believe that a lot of Nigerian creators are being shortchanged and the earning capacity of our creators are way below the earnings of their contemporaries outside Nigeria. With Yolly, we are trying to remove that barrier that until you have huge followers before you can earn value. If you have one user, you can as well have the value of that user. Also, some payment platforms do not support what we do here in Africa. With Yolly, it is by Africans for Africa and you can also get your payment as at when due, no matter the currency involved.”
While rewarding Kelvin Raphael and Samson Tara Igarama, who emerged as the First and Second Runners-up at The Next Big Podcaster category with N500,000 each, Yolly’s Head of Business said they were committed to supporting creators in telling their stories and developing the industry.
According to him, “Yolly sponsored the 2nd and 3rd place winners of The Next Big Podcast as a way of giving new entrants a platform to be seen and heard as well as empowering them beyond their expectations. The model represents a departure from conventional creator monetization systems in which financial opportunities are frequently concentrated among creators who have already developed sizeable audiences. For emerging creators, one of Yolly’s central propositions is the ability to earn from their very first stream, without having to meet a minimum follower threshold.’’
Reacting to their wins, First Runner-up Raphael said, “This is a big moment for me, and I am genuinely grateful to Yolly for supporting this competition and sponsoring the prize. This has given me even more motivation to keep creating and pushing myself.”
Second Runner-up, Tara, added, “I am really excited about winning, but beyond the prize itself, I appreciate Yolly for creating this opportunity where emerging creators like me can be seen and encouraged. Yolly’s support tells me that my work matters, and I hope more organizations and individuals will continue to invest in young creative talents.”
Launched August 1, 2026, Yolly introduces a new approach to online participation by recognizing that everyone who contributes to the internet deserves the opportunity to share in the value they help create. Yolly features a rich spectrum of content spanning music, entertainment, sports, comedy, lifestyle, education, tech, fitness and many others. Inline image
L-R: Head of Product, Starbase Technologies, Nonso Ukwandu; Head of Business, Emeka Okenwa; Second Runner Up, Next Big Podcaster, Samson Tara Igama; Convener Podfest Naija and CEO AT3 Resources, Tosin Adefeko; and Project Manager, Next Big Podcaster, Progress Eyoh; at the presentation of prize to Samson at the Podfest Naija 2026 which took place at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos…recently.