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  • Spotify Wrapped 2025: Breakout Voices Redraw Nigeria’s Soundscape

    Spotify Wrapped 2025: Breakout Voices Redraw Nigeria’s Soundscape

    Spotify’s Wrapped 2025 data for Nigeria is out, and it confirms a shift at the very heart of the country’s sound. Nigeria’s breakout voices aren’t just joining the conversation, they’re stepping up as sonic pioneers, pushing boundaries and shaping where the nation’s music culture goes next.

    New voices defining the vibe

    This year’s Top 10 most-streamed songs list made one thing clear: fresh talent is front and centre. Four major breakout acts, Fido, Kunmie, Faceless, and FOLA, carved out serious space at the top of the charts.

    • Fido led the wave of newcomers with his viral anthem Joy is Coming, which landed at #2
    • Kunmie’s breakout debut Arike followed at #3
    • Faceless took the #4 spot with Venus
    • Spotify RADAR artist FOLA claimed #6 with Lost

    Their presence in the charts shows that new voices aren’t just participating, they’re actively recalibrating the vibe and driving what’s next in Nigerian music.

    This newcomer energy was matched by the consistency of established stars. The most-streamed song in Nigeria in 2025 was With You (feat. Omah Lay), which dominated national charts and soundtracked moments across the country.

    On the albums front, the momentum continued:

    Meanwhile, Asake showcased remarkable catalogue depth, charting three albums within the top 10, underscoring just how deeply his sound resonates with Nigerian listeners.

    Local love and the dominance of homegrown talent

    Across categories, Nigerian listeners once again proved their unwavering loyalty to homegrown artists.

    Wizkid led the Top 5 most-streamed artists in Nigeria, a homegrown-heavy list that also included Seyi Vibez, Asake, Burna Boy, and Odumodublvck. Together, they reflect the range of contemporary Nigerian sounds, from street-inflected anthems to global festival headliners.

    On the women’s side, Ayra Starr held onto her title as the most-streamed woman in Nigeria. Other names in the Top 10 most-streamed women artists included Tems, Smur Lee, Tiwa Savage, and Sunmisola.

    • Smur Lee’s swift rise appears to be fuelled by high-profile collaborations blending street-hop with Amapiano textures.
    • Sunmisola’s presence in the rankings underlines the deep and enduring love Nigerians have for gospel music, and the way faith-infused sounds sit comfortably alongside Afrobeats on listeners’ playlists.

    Nigeria to the world: exported sounds and global impact

    On the global stage, Nigerian artists continued to lead and expand the country’s sonic footprint.

    Burna Boy topped the most-exported artists list, followed by Tems (2nd), Rema (3rd), Ayra Starr (4th), and WizKid (5th).

    Rema’s chart-dominating collaboration Calm Down (with Selena Gomez) held its ground as the most-exported local song for the third consecutive year, proving the long-tail power of a global hit rooted in Nigerian rhythm.

    The spiritual dimension of Nigeria’s digital life

    Beyond music, Nigerians are listening to podcasts more with a 97% year-on-year growth in hours spent listening to podcasts in the country. Podcast creation has also seen significant growth of 48%, with more people creating podcasts in the country. The year 2025 revealed a clear spiritual dimension to this trend, as the top-streamed podcasts point to a strong and consistent appetite for faith- and spirituality-led content, with listeners turning to digital audio for guidance, reflection, and community as part of their daily routines. 

    Nigeria’s listening habits in 2025

    A few key numbers capture how Nigerians listened this year:

    • Nigerians spent more than 1.3 billion hours on Spotify in 2025, and that time has increasingly gone into championing a new wave of homegrown talent
    • Local music consumption rose by 82% over the past year
    • Afrobeats listening grew by 22% globally, further cementing its status as a world-shaping genre
    • Davido’s “With You” (feat. Omah Lay) was the most-shared song on social platforms, propelled by star power, cultural relevance, and an inherently viral-friendly sound
    • Daily streams grew by 23%, demonstrating that music is a part of Nigerians’ daily routines
    • Spotify’s new Listening Age data in this year’s Wrapped experience shows that Nigeria’s average listening age sits at 25 years old

    As Wrapped 2025 rolls out, listeners across Nigeria can now dive into their own stories, from breakout anthems to spiritual podcasts, and see exactly how they helped define the country’s audio landscape this year.

    “Nigeria’s 2025 Wrapped paints a picture of a music scene that is absolutely thriving. It’s incredible to see how fast Nigerians embrace fresh voices right alongside the legends,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa

  • 2025 Year in Search: Google Reveals the Moments, Music, and Movements That Captivated Nigeria

    2025 Year in Search: Google Reveals the Moments, Music, and Movements That Captivated Nigeria

    • The nation paused to reflect on the passing of major icons, including former President Buhari and Super Eagles legend Peter Rufai.
    • Local film and music dominate, while Nigerians turn to Google to decode viral slang and explore new culinary frontiers.

     From major political shifts to the viral ‘Labubu’ craze, Nigerians turned to Google Search in 2025 to make sense of a year packed with big questions and even bigger cultural moments. Today, Google’s annual Year in Search lists offer a fascinating digital snapshot of the nation’s curiosity, revealing a country deeply engaged with its leaders, its artists, and the icons who shaped its history.

    Politics and People Take Center Stage 

    This year, Nigerians used Search to stay on top of a fast-moving news cycle. High-profile figures drove significant interest, with Senator Natasha Akpoti emerging as the #1 most searched Nigerian personality, highlighting how central political discourse was throughout the year. Beyond the domestic scene, Nigerians also kept a close watch on international events, with the Israel-Iran War and the US Elections featuring heavily in search trends.

    The nation also paused to honor the legacies of titans who left a lasting mark. The passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari triggered a massive wave of searches, as people looked back on his tenure. In the sporting world, fans bid a solemn farewell to Peter Rufai, the iconic former Super Eagles goalkeeper, revisiting career highlights and his contributions to the national team. Search interest also grew around the passing of Pope Francis, marking a moment of reflection for many.

    The Sounds and Stories of Nigeria

    Entertainment in 2025 was undeniably Nigerian-led. The Trending Songs list shows a nation seeking both spiritual upliftment and high-energy Afrobeats. The gospel resonance of ‘Oluwatosin (Jesus Is Enough)’ by Tkeyz ft. Steve Hills topped the charts, balanced by the infectious energy of ‘Joy is Coming’ by Fido and major collaborations like Davido and Omah Lay’s ‘With You.’

    Local pride surged in the film industry as well. Director Kemi Adetiba ranked among the most searched personalities, driven by the success of the hit show To Kill a Monkey, which stood out as the most searched local series.

    Decoding Culture, from Slang to the Kitchen 

    The most colorful insights come from how Nigerians interacted with internet culture. In 2025, Search became the go-to tool for decoding viral trends. The questions list was dominated by people asking, “What is Labubu?”, while the meaning of “Achalugo”, popularized by the YouTube film Love in Every Word, also sent people searching.

    In the kitchen, local palates grew more adventurous. Nigerians turned to Google for recipes ranging from the staple Chinchin to the trending Pornstar Martini and health-focused Ginger Shots, blending traditional tastes with global trends.

    “The 2025 Year in Search is more than just data; it’s a vibrant, unfiltered mirror of our collective attention,” said Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications & Public Affairs Manager for West Africa. “Whether it’s tracking the biggest headlines, reflecting on the legacies of icons we lost, or simply figuring out the latest slang, these lists show that Nigerians are using Search to actively engage with the world around them.”

    You can explore the complete 2025 Year in Search lists for Nigeria on the official Google Trends site: https://trends.withgoogle.com/year-in-search/2025/ng/

  • From Streams to Streets: How Africa Turned Spotify Wrapped into a Real-World Road Trip

    Spotify Wrapped celebrates the audio that defined our year, and the annual global marketing campaign that accompanies it has become a cultural moment in its own right. In 2025, Wrapped in Africa is a bold, dynamic experience that brings the story of your year in listening off your phone and into the real world – from amapiano and Afrobeats to gospel, hip hop, country and everything in between.

    This year, Spotify is bringing back the fan-favourite features people already love, while adding new experiences that spotlight how listeners across Africa moved, prayed, worked, partied and rested with audio. Wrapped Party invites fans to dive into their stories with friends and family, and 50 fan destinations worldwide give listeners a place to come together, celebrate their year in music and feel part of something truly global.

    From design to in-person experiences and data stories rooted in local listening, this is how the 2025 Wrapped campaign comes to life across Africa.

    A modern visual mixtape for Africa

    Before streaming, mixtapes and burned CDs were the original playlists: handpicked, decorated and passed between friends, cousins and neighbours as deeply personal gifts. The 2025 Wrapped design builds on that tradition, turning a year of listening into a bold, dynamic visual mixtape for more than 700 million fans around the world – including millions across Africa.

    Every gradient and texture reflects that unpredictable mix of emotion and rhythm that makes listening so personal. With a reduced colour palette, bold imagery and a blend of analogue and digital aesthetics, 2025 becomes the most expressive and modern-feeling Wrapped yet. From amapiano dance circles in Johannesburg to late-night studio sessions in Lagos and road-trip sing-alongs in Nairobi, the look and feel of Wrapped mirrors how African fans actually experience music – loud, layered and full of feeling.

    Immersive real-world experiences – and an amagwinya road trip

    The Wrapped creative campaign is live in more than 30 markets globally as Spotify moves beyond traditional billboards to create immersive experiences that celebrate the artists who defined 2025. Across Africa, installations and pop-ups bring Wrapped digital storytelling into the real world with artist integrations, interactive photo moments and live performances for top listeners.

    In South Africa, Wrapped quite literally hits the road. Inspired by the heartbreak of reaching the front of the line only to hear the gwinyas are finished – and the way Darwin Rev turned that moment into a national mood with Amagwinya Aphelile – the Where Are the Gwinyas? fan destination sends a Wrapped-branded amagwinya kombi on a multi-city road trip.

    The truck travels through Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, serving up gwinya with a Wrapped twist – from fish fillet to bunny-chow-inspired curry fillings and classic snoek, atchar and polony. At each stop, fans turn up their favourite Wrapped anthems, transforming the kombi from simple food truck into rolling street party.

    “Wrapped has always been about reflecting fans’ stories back to them, and this year those stories from Sub-Saharan Africa are literally spilling into the streets. From the amagwinya road trip in South Africa to the data stories coming out of Nigeria and Kenya, we’re showing that the numbers behind Wrapped are really about how people here live, move and connect through music,” says Spotify’s Head of Marketing for Africa, Sithabile Kachisa.

    How Africa listened in 2025

    Wrapped is ultimately about turning listening data into stories fans can see themselves in – and nowhere is that more vivid than in Africa.

    In South Africa, early mornings belonged to Ciza’s Isaka, with more than 46,000 fans pressing play at exactly 6:00 a.m., turning sunrise into a shared soundtrack. Mafikizolo’s Uyoncengwa Unyoko passed 14 million plays, proving some songs are built for repeat on both the dancefloor and in the taxi rank.

    In Nigeria, Fido’s Joy is Coming found its way onto more than 700 playlists tagged as sad, as listeners reached for hope even when the mood was low. Davido’s With You amassed over 42 million streams, underlining the staying power of one of the country’s most beloved hitmakers.

    In Kenya, Extra Pressure was added to fans’ gym playlists, turning workouts into high-stakes training montages, while Njerae’s Aki Sioni crossed 3.2 million streams, transforming vulnerability into a chart-ready strength.

    Across the continent, these moments show how Wrapped transforms numbers into narratives. The stats reveal not just what Africa listened to in 2025, but how, when and why it mattered – from perfectly timed play buttons and weekday rituals to songs that travelled through communities as gifts, prayers, jokes and declarations. Wrapped gathers all of that energy and hands it back to fans as a story only they could have written.

  • Africa Fintech Summit Accra 2025 Announces Strategic Partnership with the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations of the Republic of Ghana

    Africa Fintech Summit Accra 2025 Announces Strategic Partnership with the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations of the Republic of Ghana

    Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) is pleased to welcome the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations (MOC) as a Strategic Partner for the 14th edition of the summit, taking place at the Accra International Convention Centre (AICC) in Accra from October 8–10, 2025. This announcement follows some of the bold moves by MOCDTI, including the 1Million Coders, as Ghana is charting a bold and inclusive path toward a digitally empowered future.

    As part of the partnership, AFTS will allocate 50% of the Alpha Expo Mini Accelerator & Pitch Competition slots to Ghanaian startups and will closely collaborate with MOCDTI in impacting the Ghanaian digital economy with curated workshops, collaborations and investments towards selected startups to participate in the pitch competition. Additionally, MOCDTI will be joining the plenary panel entitled “Focus on Ghana’s Digital Economy – The Inside Edge” and will outline how Ghana’s ICT policy, regulatory framework and the opportunity for global investors to participate.

    “The future is global and Ghana is ready to lead, and we will outline how we position Ghana as Africa’s Digital Trade Hub at the Africa Fintech Summit in Accra in October,” said Hon. Samuel Nartey George (MP), Minister for MOC. “In addition to key government initiatives shaping a knowledge-driven economy, including the One Million Coders Programme, Ghana Tech Lab and investments in STEM education, the upcoming presentation of the Innovations and Start-up Bill and other multi-layered policy space and regulatory reforms are catered to ensure that Ghana’s undisputed position as the digital hub for Africa and a 24 hour digital economy which will provide actionable data for global techprenours to note of the massive opportunities and join our drive.”

    Zekarias Amsalu, Co-Founder of AFTS and Managing Director of Ibex Frontier, added: “We are very grateful for bringing our flagship Africa Fintech Summit to Accra as well as welcoming MOCDTI as our strategic partner. We look forward to showcasing Ghana as a digital economy investment destination, and in line with our theme of From Africa to the World, showcase Ghanian innovators and problem solvers to our global investing community via our Alpha Expo Mini Accelerator & Pitch Competition Program. Additionally, we look forward to creating live streaming capabilities across universities and colleges in Ghana so students across the country join the summit live wherever they are to cross-pollinate thought leadership and innovative ideas widely.”

    In its 14th edition, #AFTSACCRA25 will bring together over 1,500 in-person and 3,000 virtual attendees from 65 countries, including startups, investors, regulators, and innovators. Programming includes:

    • Keynotes, Masterclasses, Workshops,
    • Closed Door Roundtables, Bilateral Meetings
    • Alpha Expo Mini Accelerator & Pitch Competition for Early-Stage Startups
    • Networking Receptions, Excellence in Fintech Award Ceremony, Happy Hour, VIP Dinners & Ecosystem Tours in & around Accra
    • Curated Conference Tourism Travel

    Since its launch in 2018, AFTS has helped facilitate over $300 million in funding for African early-stage fintech startups and contributes an estimated $3 million per event in conference tourism impact to host economies every year.

    Confirmed Sponsors of the summit so far include VISA, Chevron, Analytix Engine, ShrinQ Ghana, Africa Finance Corporation, Conduit, MDP, Flutterwave, SecondSTAX, KC Compliance, Mukuru, Paystack, FIDO, Fincra, and counting.

    Confirmed Strategic, Knowledge & Media Partners include Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana’s Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, SME Finance Forum, Managed by the IFC (International Finance Corporation), Institutional Investor Network, African Media Agency (AMA), Blacvolta, Corporate Council on Africa, Briter, Halcyon, Ghana Fintech and Payments Association, Ghana FinTech Awards, Afropolitan Cities & F3 Global Advisory Group.

    Confirmed Exhibitors include HIZO, Yellowcard, Clapay SAS, Magmasend, Koinkoin, and counting.

  • Africa Gears Up for a Weekend of Glamour, Culture, and Storytelling at the 11th AMVCAs

    Africa Gears Up for a Weekend of Glamour, Culture, and Storytelling at the 11th AMVCAs

    The countdown is on as the continent turns its eyes to Lagos for the grand finale of Africa’s biggest celebration of film and television, the 11th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), taking place this Saturday, 10 May 2025. 

    Organised by Africa Magic in association with MultiChoice, the AMVCAs have grown to become the continent’s most prestigious platform for recognising excellence in African film, television, and digital content. This year’s event is a four-day cultural and industry showcase that began on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, and continues to build momentum toward the main awards night.

    The festivities kicked off with Icons Night, a stylish tribute to industry legends whose contributions have shaped Africa’s creative landscape. On Thursday, Young Filmmakers Day puts the spotlight on the next generation of storytellers with an exclusive AMVCA Masterclass on “Sound in Filmmaking,” led by acclaimed sound engineer and producer Shawn Butler.

    Today, Friday, 9 May, all roads lead to the highly anticipated Cultural Night, a vibrant celebration of African fashion, food, music, and artistic expression. It’s a stunning showcase of the continent’s heritage and a proud nod to the cultural identity at the heart of African storytelling. Guests can look forward to a live performance by Segun Johnson, known for his high-energy live band sets, as well as appearances from notable personalities.

    The festivities come to a grand close on Saturday, 10 May, with the main awards ceremony, a star-studded night of red carpet glam, electrifying performances, and the announcement of winners across 27 award categories, including Best Movie, Best Actor and Actress, Best Director, and more. The ceremony will be hosted by the ever-charismatic IK Osakioduwa, with musical performances from Johnny Drille, Fido, Kumie, and a special dance act by The Dreamcatchers.

    Dr. Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and West Africa Channels at MultiChoice, shares her excitement:

    “This year, we’re celebrating not just creative excellence, but the cultural richness and resilience of the African film and television industry. From the fashion to the music and the stories themselves, the AMVCAs are a powerful reflection of our identity and our evolution as storytellers.”

    The red carpet begins at 4:00 PM WAT, followed by the main show at 7:00 PM WAT, and will air live on all Africa Magic channels on DStv and GOtv, Pearl Magic, Mzansi Magic, and Akwaaba Magic.

    Audiences across Africa and the diaspora are invited to tune in and join the celebration using #AMVCA11 on social media.

    The 11th AMVCAs is proudly supported by headline sponsor Amstel Malta, tactical sponsor Onga, and partners including Martell, MTN, Nivea, Indomie, Lush Hair, Verve, Quickteller, Goldberg, Arla, and Desperados.