Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, a TikTok content moderator in Kenya, died after being unable to return to Nigeria for two years. A vigil was held in her memory, prompting discussions about poor working conditions faced by content moderators. Teleperformance Kenya refuted allegations of denying her leave, while her family encounters financial difficulties for her burial.
On Tuesday, technology workers in Kenya organized a vigil for their colleague, Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, who passed away under mysterious circumstances. She had been unable to return to her native Nigeria for two years, leading to her reported desperation for home. Her body was discovered in her residence after three days, raising undetermined questions about the cause of her death.
Ladi Olubunmi was a content moderator for TikTok, working for Teleperformance Kenya, which has not responded to requests for comments regarding her passing. However, a company statement deemed as “baseless and untrue” the allegations that Olubunmi had been denied leave.
Colleagues of Olubunmi have previously expressed concerns about the working environment for content moderators in Kenya, highlighting issues such as inadequate pay, insufficient mental health resources, and excessive work hours. Additionally, the plight of over 100 former Facebook content moderators has led to lawsuits claiming poor employment conditions.
During the vigil, many content moderators voiced that the adverse work conditions may have contributed to Olubunmi’s untimely death. Kauna Malgwi, a friend of the deceased, revealed that a significant number of Nigerian employees at Teleperformance had faced similar restrictions on their work permits, preventing them from traveling home despite having an annual return ticket benefit.
The news of Olubunmi’s death reached her family only a day after her body was found, with Teleperformance notifying her brother via email. The family, unable to afford repatriation of her body, is contemplating a burial organized by her church in Nairobi.
The tragic death of Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi has brought to light the precarious working conditions faced by content moderators in Kenya. Despite claims to the contrary, the circumstances surrounding her death spark concern over the support and treatment afforded to tech workers. The collective grief expressed by colleagues emphasizes the urgent need for reforms within the industry to improve employee welfare and ensure better working conditions.
Original Source: abcnews.go.com
