Mansa targets Nigeria’s streaming boom with vertical dramas

Mansa, a global streaming platform for culture-inspired content, has debuted in Nigeria with a new vertical streaming feature designed for smartphone viewing.

With the new feature, users in Nigeria can access serialised dramas without a Virtual Private Network (VPN), with episodes that run between 60 and 120 seconds and are structured around cliffhangers that prompt viewers to continue watching. 

Viewers can access this feature within the Mansa app and can discover new dramas and rewatch favourites. Local studios or writers can also make money from their production within the app.

Nigeria’s entertainment and media (E&M) industry is projected to generate revenues of $4.9 billion in 2026, according to the 2026 PwC Nigeria Economic Outlook. As global platforms compete for growth beyond Western markets, Mansa is positioning itself to tap into Nollywood’s production coverage and the spending power of local audiences. 

“We have always been moving towards Nigeria,” Nate Parker, cofounder of Mansa, told TechCabal in a statement last week. “Nigeria is one of the most dynamic storytelling ecosystems in the world. The depth of Nollywood, the scale of its audience, and the global diaspora connected to Nigerian culture make it central to any serious multicultural media strategy.”

The vertical feature operates on a hybrid model. Viewers using the feature can watch a set number of episodes for free before unlocking additional episodes by purchasing bundled in-app coins. The pricing of each coin bundle is localised by region and structured across multiple tiers. 

While exact Naira prices may vary due to platform fees and exchange rates, the company says affordability is central to its African rollout strategy. Payments in Nigeria are currently processed through Flutterwave, and the company says it is in active discussions with telecom operators to explore data and billing partnerships that would enable seamless transactions for Nigerian users.

Mansa says the revenue generated from coin purchases is shared directly with creators, with participation levels depending on the structure of each project. Rather than creators solely relying on licencing fees, the company says it aims to align incentives so creators benefit from sustained audience engagement.  

“Our goal is alignment. We want creators to participate meaningfully in the upside while also building a sustainable platform,” Parker added.

The studio says intellectual property ownership for dramas featured on the platform varies by the project. 

In many cases, creators retain intellectual property while granting Mansa distribution rights for defined territories and time periods. In co-productions where Mansa provides financing, rights may be shared. Creators interested in participating can submit serialised concepts through Mansa’s official submission portal.

Visually, Mansa’s vertical video format is closely familiar with and was popularised by social media platforms such as TikTok or YouTube Shorts. However, Mansa says its strategy is different, as social platforms rely on algorithmic discovery and advertising revenue, while Mansa is positioned as studio-produced storytelling. 

“The goal is not virality,” Parker added. “So, visually it may feel familiar to audiences accustomed to vertical viewing, but strategically it operates more like a streaming studio model adapted for mobile behaviour.” 

The new feature comes as streaming companies globally experiment with short-form formats to match changing consumption habits. 

In May 2025, Netflix announced that it was testing a short-form video feature within its app. Mansa’s differentiation lies in its cultural positioning and coin-based monetisation system for serialised short-form dramas rather than video snippets.

Mansa’s vertical feature rollout debuts with The Heiress, The Baller & The Secret Society, a 27-episode romantic thriller, with plans to include additional originals throughout the year.

Founded in 2021 by award-winning filmmakers David Oyelowo and Nate Parker, Mansa creates and distributes film on its digital platform. The company raised $8 million in April 2023 and says this new vertical storytelling format is a long-term pillar of its studio and distribution strategy. 

“We see vertical storytelling as the next evolution of serialised entertainment,” Parker concluded. “For Mansa, it is not separate from our broader mission. It is a new operating layer that allows multicultural storytelling to scale globally.”