A Nigerian woman working as a TikTok content moderator in Kenya, Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, was found dead in her Nairobi apartment three days after her passing under unclear circumstances.
Olubunmi, who was employed by Teleperformance, a firm contracted to moderate TikTok content, was discovered on Friday, March 7, 2025, sparking concerns among colleagues and industry workers.
On Tuesday, March 11, content moderators in Kenya held a vigil in her honor, mourning her tragic death and raising alarm over working conditions in the industry.
According to CNN journalist, Larry Madowo, Olubunmi’s colleagues claim she had repeatedly requested leave but was denied multiple times.
While she was entitled to a return ticket home each year, she had not traveled back to Nigeria since moving to Kenya in 2022.
Coworkers reported that she often expressed fatigue and a desperate desire to return home but faced challenges in doing so.
The exact cause of her death remains unknown, but the incident has reignited discussions about the stressful working conditions faced by content moderators, including low pay, long hours, and mental health struggles.
Teleperformance Kenya denied claims that Olubunmi had been denied leave, calling such allegations “baseless and untrue.”
However, some colleagues insist that many Nigerian employees lack proper work permits, preventing them from traveling home even when entitled to annual return tickets.
Kauna Malgwi, a friend of Olubunmi, revealed that over 100 Nigerian workers at the company are currently unable to travel due to similar permit issues.
Her family, who had not seen her since she relocated to Kenya, is now seeking answers and struggling with the financial burden of repatriating her body, with a possible burial in Nairobi due to constraints.
