By Juliet Umeh
Global audio streaming platform Spotify used the celebration of its five years of operations in Nigeria, to unveil a new data highlighting explosive rise in the way people listen to Nigerian sounds.
Since launching in the country in February 2021, Spotify says Nigeria’s year-on-year listening growth has averaged 163.5 per cent, with triple-digit surges recorded in its early years.
Afrobeats continues to power the momentum, recording a staggering 5,022 per cent growth in streams between 2021 and 2025. Other genres also posted sharp increases, including Amapiano (+10,330%), Gospel/Praise (+5,499%), Hip-hop/Rap (+3,020%), and R&B (+2,602%).
Indigenous language music is also gaining stronger traction. Local-language listening in Nigeria jumped 554 per cent in 2024 and 87 per cent in 2025, while global streams of Nigerian indigenous songs rose 141 per cent and 41 per cent within the same period.
Over the past five years, the most-streamed artists in Nigeria include Asake, Wizkid, Seyi Vibez, Burna Boy and Davido,
reflecting strong local dominance. Nigerians have also created more than 25 million playlists, while the average listener now streams about 150 different artists, underscoring a young, discovery-driven audience with an average age of 26.
Spotify said the figures reinforce Nigeria’s position as a fast-growing global music powerhouse.
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