By Joan Odafe
Five years after its inauguration in Nigeria, Spotify says music listening in
Nigeria has grown at an average rate of 163.5 per cent, underscoring the speed at
which the country has emerged as a global streaming force.
In a statement on Monday in Lagos, Spotify reported triple digit year-on-year
surges in its early years and sustained momentum through 2025.
The platform, which entered the market in February 2021, described the journey as
one marked by rapid cultural acceleration.
Spotify said at the heart of that growth was Afrobeats, which recorded a +5,022 per
cent increase in streams locally between 2021 and 2025.
The platform said other genres also witnessed remarkable expansion.
According to Spotify, Amapiano surged by +10,330 per cent, Gospel and Praise
grew by +5,499 per cent, Hip-hop and Rap rose by +3,020 per cent while R&B
climbed +2,602 per cent.
The platform further said language had become another growth engine with
indigenous language listening at +554 per cent in 2024 and +87 per cent in 2025
within Nigeria.
Globally, the platform said indigenous language streams rose +141 per cent in
2024 and +41 per cent in 2025, reflecting what it described as a growing appetite
for local-language storytelling and sound, adding that from day one, listening
habits reflected global curiosity.
The platform noted that across five years, the most-streamed artistes in Nigeria
include Burna Boy, Davido, Asake, Wizkid and Seyi Vibez.
It said among the most replayed songs are ‘Remember’ and ‘Lonely At The Top’
by Asake, ‘Kese (Dance)’ by Wizkid, ‘Doha’ by Seyi Vibez, and ‘With You’ by
Davido featuring Omah Lay.
It also said the number of Nigerian artistes on the platform had grown by +158 per
cent since its launch while users have created more than 25 million playlists over
the period.
According to Spotify, in 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded over 1.4 million play hours
on the platform, noting that podcast consumption was also expanding with more
than 59 billion total podcast hours streamed since its launch.
The platform also noted that user behaviour revealed a young and adventurous
market with the average listener aged 26.a
Spotify said that in recent months, Nigerians streamed an average of 150 different
artistes, evidence of what it called a young, discovery-driven audience.
Industry observers say the figures confirm Nigeria’s cultural influence but warned
that rapid consumption growth must translate into sustainable earnings for creators.
They noted that while streams were rising sharply, questions remained around
royalty transparency, equitable revenue distribution and whether emerging and
regional acts benefit sufficiently from algorithm-driven visibility.
Stakeholders recommend stronger monetisation systems, clearer royalty
frameworks and improved access to data analytics to help artistes better understand
and grow their audiences.
Analysts also view the surge in indigenous language streams as a major export
opportunity, urging structured global playlist placements, improved metadata
tagging and strategic branding support to sustain momentum.
On podcasts, they called for deeper investment in local advertising frameworks,
training and creator tools to ensure that the 59 billion streaming hours convert into
viable careers.
