Lekeelekee: Reclaiming Africa’s Voice in Global Media Distribution
In a world dominated by a handful of global tech giants, Africa’s voice in media and technology has often been peripheral. With the launch of Lekeelekee, a revolutionary social media platform birthed in Africa by the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Media Group and ARISE News Channel, Nduka Obaigbena, that narrative is beginning to change. Designed as a homegrown alternative to the Western and Chinese digital monopolies, Lekeelekee is not just another app; it is a statement about reclaiming Africa’s narrative, empowering creators, and reshaping the digital landscape on African terms. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports
For the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY Media Group and ARISE News Channel, Nduka Obaigbena, the need to reclaim Africa’s voice in global media distribution is quite germane, and his message is clear — the world is evolving, and Africa must not be left behind.
Known for his purpose-driven projects that stand the test of time, he recently birthed Lekeelekee, a homegrown digital platform that offers an African alternative to fill that lacuna for the continent.
Lekeelekee has been positioned as a multimedia hub that allows creators, editors, and broadcasters to distribute and monetise their work independently of Western or Chinese digital giants.
Essentially, the start and launch of Lekeelekee represents a tangible effort to reclaim the continent’s role as a creator, not just a consumer, of content in the global digital economy.
The Lekeelekee Story
As told by Obaigbena himself, the vision behind Lekeelekee is deeply personal. A veteran of more than five decades in journalism, Obaigbena has witnessed the media landscape evolve from the era of weekly and monthly magazines to the age of real-time AI-driven news, and he has played a huge role in each era.
The introductory video he voiced before the launch welcomed us all to “Lekeelekee, a revolutionary new social network with a story that goes back 50 years. I began my journalism career in the late 1970s, when weekly and monthly magazines shaped social, political, and cultural behaviour. Then the digital age took shape in 1982, when Time magazine named the personal computer ‘Man of the Year’ — a watershed moment indeed.
“From there came the mobile phone, and our societies and our lives changed forever. With artificial intelligence, the digital age has been transformed yet again. As we navigate the crossroads of globalisation and community, our societies are changing profoundly.
“I have lived through this evolution — from the era of the weekly news magazine to the daily newspaper, and now at the cutting edge of delivering information by the minute across all platforms. Each transformation has taught me one truth: the new moment matters.
“Welcome to the moment. Welcome to the new world of Lekeelekee. It’s time to change your connections. It’s time to advance your networks. Our goal is to build the world’s best social platform, birthed in Africa for global audiences. It is a new way to connect with friends and deepen conversations. We are building this platform in the open, and we want you to be involved.
“We already have a waiting list in the thousands, with a select 5,000 people gaining early preview access from today. This is your exclusive invitation to be part of Lekeelekee’s evolution. Your honest feedback at this stage will directly shape what this network becomes.
“Post text, photos, videos, voice notes, and location tags. Send fully encrypted one-on-one and group messages. Follow, like, comment, repost, and react. Discover your ‘For You’ feed, follow other users, check what’s trending, and discuss the latest news.
Get paid, build your business, find clients, and monetise your content. Get ready. Get smarter. Share real moments.
“I am Nduka Obaigbena, and I dedicate Lekeelekee to freedom — freedom from global domination, freedom for the underserved. As Nelson Mandela said, freedom is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to respect the freedom of others.”
A Homegrown African Alternative
When he recently carried this message to the 21st All Nigeria Editors Conference in Abuja, he urged editors to defend democracy, adapt to artificial intelligence, and reclaim Africa’s voice in global media distribution.
Speaking to an audience of over 500 editors, policymakers, and diplomats at the State House Conference Hall, Obaigbena, who announced the launch of the digital platform then, said he aims to “dilute the chokehold of the United States and China” over the global flow of information and entertainment content.
He said: “We are entering an AI-dominated information age. Google’s algorithms are changing, search models are shifting, and the monetisation of content is being rewritten. If we do not act, we will again be consumers, not creators, in the new media economy.”
He said Lekeelekee would serve as a homegrown African alternative, a multimedia hub that allows creators, editors, and broadcasters to distribute and monetise their work independently of Western or Chinese digital giants, adding that “we have a responsibility to build our own technology and algorithms to determine how our content is earned and shared”.
Designed for African Realities
Introduced by ARISE Media Group and THISDAY Media Group, Lekeelekee is a fast, lightweight social media platform and super-app built in Africa for global audiences, with users exploring it through lekeelekee.com, and the app available on both iOS and Android devices.
Designed for African connectivity realities, it offers low-data, high-speed feeds, video streaming, messaging (including voice notes), community groups, and monetisation options for creators. Mini-apps, regional advertising networks, built-in moderation, and verification tools ensure that users can interact safely and securely.
With speed, scale, and independence at the centre of the platform’s mission, the goal is to target over 500 million smartphone users across Africa and a potential audience of 1.5 billion voices, including the diaspora.
Essentially, Lekeelekee allows users to post text, photos, videos, voice notes, and location tags, while enabling fully encrypted one-on-one and group messaging. Users can follow accounts, like, comment, repost, react to content, explore trending topics, and engage with breaking news through a personalised “For You” feed.
Empowering Creators and Communities
Beyond engagement, Lekeelekee places strong emphasis on economic empowerment for creators. Users can post content, engage audiences, find clients, and get paid directly, an initiative designed to counter the structural inequities inherent in American- and Chinese-owned platforms.
The platform’s early access programme allows thousands of users to participate in shaping its development because community input is central to the philosophy of Lekeelekee, which aims to combine digital freedom, open conversation, and local empowerment into one cohesive experience.
At its heart, Lekeelekee is founded on a philosophical stance of freedom from global digital domination, freedom for underrepresented voices, and freedom rooted in mutual respect.
A New Chapter in African Media
By all standards, Lekeelekee is more than a technological milestone; it is a statement of intent. For years, Western and Chinese platforms have dominated the flow of information and entertainment content. Lekeelekee offers speed, scale, and independence while remaining deeply rooted in African experiences and realities.
Again, with over 500 million smartphone users across Africa and a potential audience of 1.5 billion voices worldwide, Lekeelekee is poised to become a transformative force. For the diaspora and African audiences alike, it promises a space where local content is valued, creators are rewarded, and interactions are genuinely meaningful.
As digital media continues to shape culture, commerce, and community, platforms like Lekeelekee may have just defined a new chapter in African innovation.
By prioritising speed, independence, and economic empowerment, Obaigbena is offering more than just a platform, but also a vision for a digital future that is African in origin and global in ambition. Beyond that, Lekeelekee promises a smarter, fairer, and more inclusive social media experience for the continent.
Quote
Welcome to the moment. Welcome to the new world of Lekeelekee. It’s time to change your connections. It’s time to advance your networks. Our goal is to build the world’s best social platform, birthed in Africa for global audiences. It is a new way to connect with friends and deepen conversations. We are building this platform in the open, and we want you to be involved
