Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor | journalist at wengglobal
X, formerly known as Twitter, is changing the way creators earn money on its platform, replacing its existing Revenue Sharing programme with a new Original Content Rewards Programme designed to place greater emphasis on original ideas, reporting, expertise, creativity and commentary.
The change, announced in August 2026, represents another major adjustment to X’s creator-monetisation strategy. Existing participants in the Revenue Sharing programme will continue earning until September 7, 2026, while the new programme is being positioned as a system that rewards creators for producing content that adds something new to the platform.
For Nigerian influencers, journalists, commentators and digital entrepreneurs, however, the new model presents both an opportunity and a fresh layer of uncertainty.
From engagement to originality
Under X’s previous Revenue Sharing programme, creator earnings were linked to engagement generated by posts, with X saying payments were influenced by verified Home Timeline impressions and the type of users interacting with content.
The platform’s current rules require eligible creators to have an active Premium subscription, at least 5 million organic impressions during the previous three months and at least 500 verified followers, among other requirements. Nigeria is among the countries supported for payouts.
The Original Content Rewards Programme changes the emphasis.
Rather than simply rewarding creators for generating large volumes of engagement, X says the new system is intended to reward people bringing original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity and meaningful commentary to the platform. Qualified content is expected to include original reporting, analysis, videos, photographs, graphics, illustrations and meaningful reactions.
For Nigerian creators, this could encourage a shift away from recycled viral posts and toward original journalism, explainers, commentary, investigative work and locally relevant storytelling.
What changes for Nigerian influencers?
The biggest change could be strategic.
Many Nigerian influencers have built audiences by reacting quickly to trending conversations, reposting viral material, adding short commentary and participating in highly active political, entertainment and sports discussions.
The new reward structure makes originality more important.
That means creators may have to invest more time in researching stories, producing videos, developing graphics, conducting interviews and offering perspectives that cannot easily be copied from another account.
For professional creators, this could be positive.
A Nigerian technology commentator, for example, may have greater incentive to produce an original explanation of how a new digital policy affects consumers instead of simply reposting the announcement. A sports creator could produce analysis around a match rather than recycling a football clip. A journalist could use X to distribute original reporting rather than simply sharing links from other publications.
But originality also costs money.
Producing quality journalism, video, graphics and analysis requires time, equipment, internet access and sometimes a team. For smaller Nigerian creators operating without institutional support, the pressure to consistently produce original material could increase the cost of participating in the creator economy.
The problem of platform dependence
The new programme also highlights a longstanding challenge for digital creators: dependence on decisions made by technology platforms.
X’s own terms state that it can modify or cancel its monetisation programmes and that participation can be accepted, revoked or suspended at its discretion.
This creates uncertainty for creators who treat platform income as a major source of livelihood.
A creator can spend months building an audience around a particular strategy only for the platform to change its algorithm, eligibility requirements or payment formula.
X has already gone through several changes to its monetisation model. The move from Revenue Sharing to Original Content Rewards therefore represents another adjustment in an environment where creators must continually adapt.
For Nigerian influencers, the lesson is increasingly clear: building an audience on X is valuable, but depending entirely on X for income carries risks.
Original content may raise the quality bar
There is, nevertheless, a potentially positive side to the transition.
If implemented effectively, the Original Content Rewards Programme could discourage low-effort content, engagement bait and widespread recycling of other people’s material.
X’s monetisation standards already prohibit artificial engagement, spam and deceptive practices. The platform can suspend or revoke monetisation where creators violate its rules.
That could benefit creators who invest in genuine work.
Nigeria has a rapidly expanding digital media environment, with influencers increasingly functioning as commentators, entrepreneurs, entertainers and informal news distributors.
A system that rewards originality could encourage these creators to develop stronger editorial standards and more distinctive brands.
It could also create opportunities for journalists and independent publishers who use X to distribute original reporting directly to audiences.
But originality does not eliminate precarity
The central challenge remains income stability.
Even if X rewards original content, creators are still operating inside a platform whose algorithms determine visibility and whose monetisation rules can change.
Originality may improve a creator’s chances of earning, but it does not guarantee predictable income.
This distinction is particularly important in Nigeria, where creators already face economic pressures including high data costs, equipment expenses and limited access to international payment systems.
Creators therefore need to think beyond platform rewards.
Subscriptions, direct brand partnerships, newsletters, websites, events, consulting, affiliate businesses and other revenue streams can help reduce dependence on a single platform.
X itself offers creator Subscriptions, allowing eligible creators to generate recurring income from followers who pay for exclusive content.
A new incentive, an old challenge
The Original Content Rewards Programme may ultimately improve the quality of content on X, but changing the reward formula does not remove the structural uncertainty facing creators.
For Nigerian influencers, the programme creates a clear incentive: create more original work, build authority and provide value that cannot easily be copied.
However, creators should also recognise that platform monetisation should be treated as one part of a broader digital business rather than a guaranteed salary.
The strongest Nigerian creators may therefore be those who use X not simply as a place to chase impressions, but as a distribution channel for intellectual property, journalism, entertainment, personal brands and businesses that they control.
X is changing its rewards strategy. Nigerian creators will have to change theirs too.
But the deeper challenge remains unchanged: how to build a sustainable creative economy when the rules of monetisation are controlled by platforms that can change those rules at any time.
Sources: X Help Centre; X Creator Revenue Sharing Terms; X Creator Monetisation Standards; The Verge; Nigerian CommunicationWeek.
