Without doubt, Nigerian music is sweeping across the globe, blazing across stadiums, clubhouses and other public areas.
It became more popular, with singers like Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid, Asake, Tems, Tiwa Savage and others receiving acclaim on a global scale for their work.
The success of these singers has been attributed to the country’s population and the presence of music-streaming services such as Boomplay, iTunes, Spotify, etc.
Statistics by Data Reporter in 2023 revealed that Nigeria’s total population has increased to 221.2 million, with 122.5 million internet users in the country.
At the same time, internet penetration stood at 55.4 per cent.
“A total of 193.9 million cellular mobile connections were active in Nigeria in early 2023, with this figure equivalent to 87.7 per cent of the total population.”
These services have made it much easier for Nigerian artistes to reach audiences all over the world, increasing their chances of success.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta noted that due to heavy leverage on digital platforms, the Nigerian entertainment industry has gone global.
Nigerians generated 1.3 million playlists in one year after Spotify was launched.
This vast turn-up for music streaming enables Nigerian music to excel locally and globally, giving Nigerian singers an advantage over the less populated countries.
The industry has become a leading musical force in the international music industry, from the UK to the US and others.
This trend has been fueled by the work of popular Nigerian singers who have made a significant impact across the world by winning numerous awards and collaborating with international artistes.
Burna Boy
Grammy award-winning singer, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, professionally known as Burna Boy, on June 3rd 2023, made history after selling out the 80, 000 capacity London Stadium.
The Nigerian musician became the first African artiste to sell out the 80K capacity London Stadium in the UK.
Davido
Famous Nigerian Afrobeat singer, David Adeleke, better known as Davido, has over 1 billion streams on Spotify. He is also classified as one of the most streamed Nigerian artistes on Apple Music.
Tems
Sensational Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi last week received the plaque for her Grammy award.
Recall that Tems snapped the award for Best Melodica Rap Performance at the 65th Grammys on February 6th, 2023. She won the award for her contribution to Future’s ‘Wait For U’, which also featured Drake.
Wizkid
Grammy Award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, professionally known as Wizkid, is undoubtedly one of the music stars making Nigeria proud on the music scene.
A Public commentator, Remi Adebayo told DAILY POST in an interview that it takes quality music to succeed globally even with little or no promotion.
“Nigerian singers were able to dominate the world sphere because they released high quality music for everyone to enjoy. That is why they succeed on the global stage.
“Also, the percentage of Nigerians with access to the internet gives them the power to resonate and trend globally on platforms like TikTok and Twitter.
“TikTok is the latest tool for music discovery, making it easy for Nigerian music to taste the global market,” he stated