A new social media platform, LekeeLekee, has been launched in Nigeria by the founder of Arise Broadcast and THISDAY Media Group, marking their latest expansion into the digital technology space. The platform is now live on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and the web, including as a Progressive Web App (PWA). Positioned as a low-data, high-speed social "super app," LekeeLekee is designed for underserved and emerging digital communities where connectivity and data costs remain major constraints. The developers say the platform has been built to function efficiently across devices and network conditions.
The app integrates features such as video sharing, messaging with voice notes, community groups and built-in moderation tools. Users can post text, photos, videos, voice notes and location tags, while also accessing fully encrypted one-on-one and group messaging.
In a statement announcing the launch, the company said: “For too long, global platforms have been built far from our realities. LekeeLekee is our answer, a platform that is fast, fair, and open, one that amplifies voices rather than extracting them.”
Developers described LekeeLekee as more than just another social networking site, calling it “the culmination of over five decades of lived experience across the shifting landscapes of journalism, technology and global communication, from the era of weekly news magazines in the 1970s to today’s fast-paced, AI-driven digital world.”
“Birthed in Africa for a global audience, LekeeLekee aims to redefine how people connect, converse and create value online,” the statement added. “The platform is designed to foster deeper, more meaningful interactions while giving users greater control over their content, data and digital identities.”
Users can follow accounts, like, comment, repost and react to content, as well as explore trending topics and breaking news through a personalised “For You” feed. The platform also promises streamlined navigation and responsive performance tailored to bandwidth-limited environments.
A key feature of the app is its monetisation model, which allows creators and businesses to earn directly from their content. According to the developers, this approach seeks to address challenges faced by African creators who have struggled with restrictive payout systems on foreign-owned platforms.
“Creators and businesses can monetise content, find clients, build brands and get paid directly on the platform, an approach that seeks to rebalance value creation in favour of users, particularly those in underserved markets hampered by unfavourable polices of American and Chinese-owned social media platforms,” the company said.
LekeeLekee’s launch comes amid rapid growth in Africa’s digital landscape. According to the GSMA, 416 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa were mobile internet users in 2024, representing 28 per cent of the population, a figure projected to rise to 576 million, or 33 per cent, by 2030. The founders say thousands joined the waiting list ahead of launch, with 5,000 early users granted preview access, underscoring what they describe as a broader philosophy of “freedom, freedom from global digital domination, freedom for underrepresented voices, and freedom rooted in mutual respect.”
