Nigerian Youth Advocate Calls Out Facebook’s Monetisation Policies

A Nigerian youth advocate and writer, Awuzie Frankline, has penned a strongly worded open letter to Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, decrying what he describes as the moral degradation enabled by Facebook’s monetisation features in Nigeria.

In the letter, made public on Monday, Mr. Frankline expressed deep concern over the growing trend among young Nigerians, especially women, who resort to posting nude and sexually suggestive content in a bid to earn money through Facebook’s monetisation programme.

“Today, because of Facebook’s monetisation features, we are witnessing an alarming trend: young Nigerians posting their nudes, dancing in underwear, and sharing sexually suggestive content… This is not creativity. This is not innovation. This is a crisis,” Mr. Frankline wrote.

He argued that while the monetisation programme was intended to support content creation, it has instead become a vehicle for digital exploitation, rewarding “shock value over substance, nudity over knowledge, and vulgarity over virtue.”

Describing the trend as “modern-day slavery,” he noted that the pursuit of likes, views, and dollars has become a trap for many African youths already battling poverty and systemic failure.

In his appeal, Mr. Frankline called on Mr. Zuckerberg to take urgent action, including:

• Banning nudity, underwear dancing, and sexually explicit content from all monetisation channels.
• Implementing stricter content guidelines in regions where cultural values are being eroded by algorithmic incentives.
• Investing in the promotion of educational and culturally uplifting content to encourage creativity with dignity.

“We are not against monetisation,” he clarified. “But we are against a system that pays people to lose themselves, their culture, and their honour.”

The letter has since sparked conversations on social media platforms, with many users echoing the concerns raised, and calling for greater ethical responsibility from tech companies operating across Africa.

READ FULL LETTER

An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg

Written By : Awuzie Frankline 

Dear Mark Zuckerberg,

I write this with a heavy heart not in anger, but in deep disappointment. As a Nigerian and a concerned citizen of Africa, I feel compelled to speak on what Facebook, under your leadership, is turning into. The platform that once connected the world and empowered voices is now quietly becoming a tool that is stripping away the dignity of our youth, especially here in Nigeria.

Today, because of Facebook’s monetisation features, we are witnessing an alarming trend: young Nigerians posting their nudes, dancing in underwear, and sharing sexually suggestive content on their stories,all in a desperate bid to earn money. This is not creativity. This is not innovation. This is a crisis.

Sir, how can a feature meant to encourage content creation now become a trap that rewards indecency and punishes values? What guardrails were put in place to ensure that this monetisation wouldn’t turn into moral decay? What protections exist to preserve the cultural integrity of communities like ours?

Let me be clear: this is not just about “freedom of expression.” This is about digital exploitation where vulnerable youths are being shaped by algorithms that reward shock value over substance, nudity over knowledge, and vulgarity over virtue.

It is disturbing that African youths, many of whom already struggle with poverty and a broken system, now find themselves drawn into this trap believing that the only way to succeed online is to expose their bodies and abandon their values. It is modern-day slavery, only this time the chains are invisible, and the slave masters are likes, views, and digital dollars.

I urge you, as the creator of this global platform, to reflect deeply on the consequences of the system you have built. You have the power to fix this. You have the responsibility to do better.

We call on you to:

• Ban all forms of nudity, underwear dancing, and sexually suggestive content from monetisation programmes.

• Reinforce stricter guidelines for content eligibility—especially in countries where cultural and moral erosion is becoming a dangerous consequence of this system

• Invest in promoting educational, inspirational, and culturally enriching content—so that our youth can create with dignity and still earn honestly.

We are not against monetisation. But we are against a system that pays people to lose themselves, their culture, and their honour.

Let Facebook be a place of true creativity, not moral collapse. Our youth deserve better. And frankly, so does humanity. I will take time to write inspiring articles and get peanuts while one lady dances naked and get paid heavily ,This is not teaching morality and decency 

Respectfully,

A Concerned Nigerian 

Awuzie Frankline