Nigeria’s music scene shows stark gender gap- Reports

Nigeria’s music industry is heavily male-dominated, with male artists making up 91 percent of the total compared to just 8 percent female, according to Chartmetric’s Make Music Equal report.

This places Nigeria second only to Bangladesh, where the split is even wider at 92 percent male to 6 percent female artists. The gap is clear among Nigeria’s top talent: only two women, Ayra Starr and Tems, rank among the country’s top 10 artists.

Globally, the music industry is showing signs of progress toward gender equality. The report notes that women now account for 33 percent of the top 100 artists by peak Chartmetric score, up from 26 percent in 2020. Solo male artists still dominate this group at 54 percent, but the increase in female representation marks a shift.

Festival lineups reflect similar changes, with a 3 percent rise in female artists and a 2 percent rise in male artists since pre-pandemic times. This trend may be linked to a decline in bands performing, likely due to the increasing cost of touring.

In Nigeria, however, the gender imbalance remains stark. Despite global gains, the country lags, with female artists struggling to break into a field dominated by men. The report suggests that more support and opportunities for women could help narrow the gap.

While the world moves toward greater inclusion, Nigeria’s music industry still has significant work ahead to level the playing field for female artists.