Global Courant 2023-05-19 12:00:51
In recent years, young Nigerians have gained significant recognition on the global stage through their impact on various aspects of the global economy. Nigerian youth – at home and abroad – have made significant contributions to science and technology, politics, media, literature, arts, entertainment, sports, etc. There are people like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Tobi Amusan, Uchechi IwealaChinedu Echeruo, Victor Osimhen and Kelechi Iheanacho of those in the diaspora who put the country on the world map.
Nigeria is the most populous African country and home to more than 200 million people, with an annual population growth rate of 2.5 percent as of 2022. The country has a teeming youth population – housing the largest demographic of young people with a median age of 18.1 years in the world. About 70% of the population is under 30 years old and 42% of that population group is under 15.3 years old.
Youth in Nigeria evolve and innovate through technology and natural skills. While some disrupt the world scene through science and technology, others disrupt the world scene through music. Consequently, Nigerian artists are starting to creatively and authentically drive cultural globalization through music, especially the Afrobeats genre.
Afrobeats is an urban popular music genre that originated in Nigeria. It’s a groovy beat layered with good lyrics, especially about love, life, sex and anything the artist deems appropriate. Nigerian artists are using the genre to shape the global music scene- drive ideas, attitudes, meanings, values and cultural products across national borders. Their music invariably creates culture globalization across countries and continents.
More than that, Afrobeats artists not only gain recognition or awards, but also disrupt the kind of music consumed worldwide. In Europe, North America and Asia, the genre has become more popular among young people, especially on social media. That has further helped to put Nigerian artists on the global stage and attract high-level events for some.
Last December, David Adeleke (Davido) sang ‘Hayya Hayya’ (Better Together) during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final alongside Aisha (Qatari) and Trinidad Cardona (American). The performance was held at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar and had an audience of around 88,000. Also, other Nigerian singers, such as Kizz Daniel and Patoranking, performed for football fans in the FIFA fan arena in a series of concerts organized by the football governing body during the tournament. All three Nigerian musicals performed in the tournament are top Afrobeats superstars. This highlights the growing influence of Nigerian Afrobeats music on global music culture.
In addition, on May 6 Tiwa Savage performed living in Windsor Castle during the coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. Introduced as the “queen of Afrobeats,” Tiwa Savage was the only African and Nigerian musician on the all-star list of performers at the concert. This highlights the attitude of the British public towards Afrobeat music.
Most recent, Nigerian singer Divine Ikubor (Rema) embarked on a well-received three-day music tour in India. Rema became super famous when his song “Calm Down” went viral on social media. Last month, the song made history on the US Billboard Hot 100 Charts when the remix peaked at number eight on the chart. This cemented the singer’s reputation on the world stage while at the same time testifying to the global impact of the Afrobeats music genre. The prestigious US Music List also features some of Nigeria’s biggest Afrobeats names, including Wizkid, Tems, Ckay, FireboyDML, Burna Boy, Davido and Tiwa Savage.
