Nigeria has unveiled a new social networking service called LekeeLekee, created by the team behind ARISE and THISDAY media group, with its launch officially announced on February 2. Marketed as a homegrown alternative to major international platforms, it focuses on promoting digital independence, economic opportunity, and governance shaped by the community.

The developers of LekeeLekee present the platform as a solution to Africa’s dependence on social media services controlled by American and Chinese firms. They contend that this dependence exposes African users to foreign rules, algorithms, and monetisation models. LekeeLekee aims to offer a homegrown option that aligns with the continent’s own priorities and cultural valu

A key aspect of LekeeLekee is its revenue model, designed to enable content creators and businesses to earn directly from their contributions. This system seeks to tackle the difficulties African creators often face with limited or restrictive payment structures on foreign-owned social media platforms.

LekeeLekee plans to implement content moderation guidelines specifically suited to African contexts. Its creators argue that policies developed in places like Silicon Valley or Beijing do not always reflect the continent’s cultural and political realities. By creating its own framework, the platform seeks to meet local requirements while remaining connected to a global audience.

Beyond its practical use, LekeeLekee is positioned as a step toward decreasing Africa’s reliance on foreign technology corporations. Supporters believe that greater digital independence could enhance the continent’s influence in international tech discussions and foster increased innovation throughout Africa.

LekeeLekee joins a history of African social media ventures. South Africa’s Mxit, a major platform in the 2000s, closed in 2015 after being overtaken by WhatsApp and Facebook. Another South African creation, 2go, developed by Alan Wolff and Ashley Peter, gained popularity among young users in the early 2010s but eventually declined. More recently, telecom-supported platforms like Ayoba, developed by MTN Group in South Africa, have attracted millions by combining messaging, music, and localized services, reaching 35 million monthly active users as of December 2023.

The GSMA reports that in 2024, 416 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa about 28% of the population used mobile internet, with projections reaching 576 million, or 33%, by 2030. Worldwide, social media users numbered 5.66 billion as of October 2025, according to DataReportal. In comparison, Africa had 384 million social media users in 2022, its most recent continental figure, illustrating a growing but relatively smaller share of the global digital market. Within this context of rapid growth, LekeeLekee embodies Africa’s drive to take control of its own digital destiny