Five years after launching in Nigeria, Spotify says music listening in the country has grown at an average rate of 163.5 per cent, highlighting Nigeria’s rapid emergence as a global streaming powerhouse.
In a statement released in Lagos, the platform reported triple-digit year-on-year growth in its early years and sustained momentum through 2025. Since entering the Nigerian market in February 2021, Spotify described its journey as one marked by strong cultural acceleration and expanding user engagement.
Central to that growth has been Afrobeats, which recorded a 5,022 per cent increase in local streams between 2021 and 2025. Other genres also posted significant gains. 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 by 2,602 per cent.
The platform also identified indigenous language content as a key growth driver. Within Nigeria, indigenous language listening increased by 554 per cent in 2024 and 87 per cent in 2025. Globally, streams of indigenous language music rose by 141 per cent in 2024 and 41 per cent in 2025, reflecting growing international interest in local-language storytelling and sound.
Spotify noted that Nigerian users demonstrated global curiosity from the outset. The first track streamed in Nigeria at launch was “到此為止” by Shiga Lin, illustrating what the platform described as an eclectic and discovery-driven audience.
Over the past five years, the most-streamed artistes in Nigeria include Burna Boy, Davido, Asake, Wizkid and Seyi Vibez.
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.
According to the platform, the number of Nigerian artistes on Spotify has increased by 158 per cent since launch, while users have created more than 25 million playlists within the period. In 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded over 1.4 million play hours.
Podcast consumption has also expanded significantly, with more than 59 billion total podcast hours streamed since launch. Spotify said user data indicates a youthful and adventurous audience, with the average listener aged 26. In recent months, Nigerians streamed an average of 150 different artistes, underscoring a strong culture of discovery.
Industry observers say the figures confirm Nigeria’s growing cultural influence but caution that rapid consumption growth must translate into sustainable earnings for creators. They note that while streaming numbers are rising sharply, concerns remain around royalty transparency, equitable revenue distribution and whether emerging and regional acts benefit sufficiently from algorithm-driven visibility.
Stakeholders have called for stronger monetisation systems, clearer royalty frameworks and improved access to data analytics to help artistes better understand and grow their audiences.
Analysts also see the surge in indigenous language streams as a major export opportunity, recommending structured global playlist placements, improved metadata tagging and strategic branding support to maintain momentum.
On podcasts, they advocate deeper investment in local advertising frameworks, creator training and enhanced tools to ensure that growing listenership translates into viable careers for content creators.