Latest news with #Olubunmi
The Hill
17-04-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Funeral held in Kenya for TikTok content moderator following death in unclear circumstances
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A funeral was held on Thursday for a TikTok content moderator who died in unclear circumstances in Kenya last month. Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi's decomposed remains were found on March 7 at her apartment on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, three days after she failed to show up at work. Olubunmi, 43, was employed as a TikTok content moderator subcontracted by a global outsourcing firm, Teleperformance. The Nigerian had complained of fatigue before her death, the cause of which has not been revealed. Her death has underlined concerns about the poor working conditions for hundreds of content moderators and others working for tech corporations like TikTok and Facebook in African countries. Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation. More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company over what they say is poor pay and working conditions and unfair termination of employment. Olubunmi had been living in Kenya since 2022 and only managed to travel back home once, despite having an annual return ticket benefit in her employment contract. Colleagues said she was 'desperate to go home' but was denied leave. Teleperformance Kenya said in a statement in March that she wasn't denied leave to travel home. In a tribute, a company spokesperson described Olubunmi as 'a selfless, compassionate and deeply caring individual.' Among the mourners on Thursday was Olubunmi's elder brother, who travelled to Nairobi for the emotional ceremony. He was overcome by grief as friends and colleagues eulogized Olubunmi as 'selfless.' Tauheed Tayo Yakubu, a colleague of Olubunmi, described her as a champion for better working conditions, detailing how in November 2023 she staged a walkout for Nigerian colleagues demanding for valid work permits. 'She requested that every Nigerian leave the job immediately and then we all marched,' he said. A representative from the Nigerian high commission attended the funeral, along with about 200 people from Olubunmi's workplace and the Nigerian community in Kenya.
The Independent
17-04-2025
- The Independent
Funeral held in Kenya for TikTok content moderator following death in unclear circumstances
The funeral was held on Thursday for a Kenya-based Nigerian content moderator who died in unclear circumstances last month. Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi's decomposed remains were found on March 7 at her apartment on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, three days after she failed to show up at work. Among the mourners was her elder brother, who travelled to Nairobi for the emotional ceremony. He was overcome by grief as friends and colleagues eulogized Olubunmi as 'selfless.' Olubunmi, 43, who was employed as a TikTok content moderator subcontracted by a global outsourcing firm, Teleperformance, had complained of fatigue before her death, the cause of which has not been revealed. She had been living in Kenya since 2022 and only managed to travel back home once, despite having an annual return ticket benefit in her employment contract. Colleagues said she was 'desperate to go home' but was denied leave. Teleperformance Kenya said in a statement in March that she wasn't denied leave to travel home. In a tribute, a company spokesperson described Olubunmi as 'a selfless, compassionate and deeply caring individual.' Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation. More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company over what they say is poor pay and working conditions and unfair termination of employment. Tauheed Tayo Yakubu, a colleague of Olubunmi, described her as a champion for better working conditions, detailing how in November 2023 she staged a walkout for Nigerian colleagues demanding for valid work permits. 'She requested that every Nigerian leave the job immediately and then we all marched,' he said.
Associated Press
17-04-2025
- Associated Press
Funeral held in Kenya for TikTok content moderator following death in unclear circumstances
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The funeral was held on Thursday for a Kenya-based Nigerian content moderator who died in unclear circumstances last month. Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi's decomposed remains were found on March 7 at her apartment on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, three days after she failed to show up at work. Among the mourners was her elder brother, who travelled to Nairobi for the emotional ceremony. He was overcome by grief as friends and colleagues eulogized Olubunmi as 'selfless.' Olubunmi, 43, who was employed as a TikTok content moderator subcontracted by a global outsourcing firm, Teleperformance, had complained of fatigue before her death, the cause of which has not been revealed. She had been living in Kenya since 2022 and only managed to travel back home once, despite having an annual return ticket benefit in her employment contract. Colleagues said she was 'desperate to go home' but was denied leave. Teleperformance Kenya said in a statement in March that she wasn't denied leave to travel home. In a tribute, a company spokesperson described Olubunmi as 'a selfless, compassionate and deeply caring individual.' Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation. More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company over what they say is poor pay and working conditions and unfair termination of employment. Tauheed Tayo Yakubu, a colleague of Olubunmi, described her as a champion for better working conditions, detailing how in November 2023 she staged a walkout for Nigerian colleagues demanding for valid work permits. 'She requested that every Nigerian leave the job immediately and then we all marched,' he said.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Funeral held in Kenya for TikTok content moderator following death in unclear circumstances
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The funeral was held on Thursday for a Kenya-based Nigerian content moderator who died in unclear circumstances last month. Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi's decomposed remains were found on March 7 at her apartment on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, three days after she failed to show up at work. Among the mourners was her elder brother, who travelled to Nairobi for the emotional ceremony. He was overcome by grief as friends and colleagues eulogized Olubunmi as 'selfless.' Olubunmi, 43, who was employed as a TikTok content moderator subcontracted by a global outsourcing firm, Teleperformance, had complained of fatigue before her death, the cause of which has not been revealed. She had been living in Kenya since 2022 and only managed to travel back home once, despite having an annual return ticket benefit in her employment contract. Colleagues said she was 'desperate to go home' but was denied leave. Teleperformance Kenya said in a statement in March that she wasn't denied leave to travel home. In a tribute, a company spokesperson described Olubunmi as 'a selfless, compassionate and deeply caring individual.' Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation. More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company over what they say is poor pay and working conditions and unfair termination of employment. Tauheed Tayo Yakubu, a colleague of Olubunmi, described her as a champion for better working conditions, detailing how in November 2023 she staged a walkout for Nigerian colleagues demanding for valid work permits. 'She requested that every Nigerian leave the job immediately and then we all marched,' he said.
The Hill
12-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Kenya-based content moderators mourn Nigerian colleague who ‘was desperate to go home'
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Technology workers in Kenya held a vigil Tuesday for a colleague who died in unclear circumstances after she was unable to travel to her home in Nigeria for two years. Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a content moderator for TikTok employed by the subcontractor Teleperformance Kenya, died last week and her decomposing body was discovered in her house after three days. It was unclear what caused her death, but colleagues say she had complained of fatigue and was 'desperate to go back home.' Teleperformance Kenya didn't reply to requests for comment from The Associated Press. In a statement from the company to a journalist seen by the AP, Teleperformance Kenya said that claims that Olubunmi was denied leave were 'baseless and untrue.' Content moderators working for subcontracted firms based in Kenya have in the past described working conditions that they say include lower than average pay, lack of mental health support, long working hours and intimidation. More than 100 former Facebook content moderators have sued the social media company over what they say is poor pay, horrible working conditions and unfair termination of employment by Facebook's subcontracted Kenya-based firm, Samasource. Dozens of content moderators and data labelers working for various global tech companies met during Tuesday's vigil and said that poor working conditions may have contributed to their colleague's death. 'There are more than 100 Nigerians working under Teleperformance company who haven't had work permits for the last two years and so they have not been able to travel home despite having an annual return ticket benefit,' said Kauna Malgwi, a friend of the deceased. Olubunmi's family was informed of her death a day after her body was discovered by a neighbor. Teleperformance emailed Olubunmi's brother notifying him of her death and gave him contacts of Kenyan investigating officers who he could call for information, autopsy and burial arrangements. 'The family cannot afford to take her body home, so they are considering asking her church in Nairobi to bury her,' Malgwi said.
