Nigerian female Afrobeat stars are gaining more prominence on the international music scene than in their home country, data analysed by BusinessDay shows.
According to a 2025 review of airplay and streaming data by Turntable Charts, not a single female artist ranked among Nigeria’s top 20 most-streamed artists for the first time since tracking began in 2020.
While male artists completely dominated the local charts with Seyi Vibez leading the list with high stream counts, only Ayra Starr, a Mavin singer, came closest to the top 20 ranking the highest among women at position 26.
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Overall, only six female artists appeared in the top 100. The absence extended beyond artists to other categories. No female-led albums or songs reached the top 20 in streaming for the year. Female representation was limited across the board, with women appearing only in the top 20 Most Heard Songs on the radio, where Teni and Ayra Starr featured.
This gap reflects broader patterns in the Nigerian music ecosystem. Reports indicate that male artists make up about 91-92 percent of the industry, leaving women at around 8 percent.
Factors such as lower release volumes from female artists, fewer women entering the scene, and differences in marketing or playlist support contribute to the disparity. Taene, a Nigerian female artist, told BusinessDay that one of the barriers facing women in music is the inability to fully control their physical style and brand. This, she said, hinders creativity, which is the main point of being a creator.
“Women should be free to be who they are. More women are starting to speak up for themselves. The whole point of being creative is to express oneself. There should be more women in the music industry, and they should start speaking up,” Taene said.
Breakout artists in 2025 followed a similar trend: among new names like Fola, Chella, Famous Pluto, and Kunmie, only Smur Lee stood out as a female breakout.
In contrast, Nigerian female artists show a stronger presence on international charts. On the 2025 year-end Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart, Ayra Starr appeared in multiple positions (including 12 and 22), Tems featured at 16 and 32, and South African artist Tyla held top spots with ‘Water’ at 2 and ‘Push 2 Start’ at 3.
Spotify Wrapped for 2025 showed Tems and Ayra Starr among the top five most-exported Nigerian artistes alongside Burna Boy, who topped the list, Rema, and WizKid in fifth place.
These entries reinforce the demand for African female voices outside Nigeria, particularly in the U.S. market, where Afrobeats consumption includes more diverse gender representation.
Tems provides a clear example of the local-global divide. Her 2025 EP ‘Love Is A Kingdom’, released on November 21 as a surprise drop following her 2024 album ‘Born in the Wild,’ gained international traction. The EP appeared on the Billboard World Albums chart for at least nine weeks, reaching number 23 at one point alongside ‘Born in the Wild’ at number 18. Despite this, Tems did not rank in Nigeria’s top 100 streamed artists for the year.
Efforts have been made towards this disparity, Tems in a bid to boost visibility for women in music, started the Leading Vibe Initiative, a mentorship and empowerment platform to support the next generation of African women. The initiative was launched in 2025 with the aim of closing the gender gap in music in production, songwriting and performance, providing tools, resources and networking opportunities.
The contrast raises questions about domestic streaming habits and industry support. While global platforms like Spotify and Apple Music promote Nigerian women through international playlists and collaborations, local consumption patterns favour male artists. Spotify data shows that in 2025, Wizkid’s ‘Morayo’ claimed the most-streamed album in Nigeria, with the rest of the top five rounded out by Davido’s ‘5ive’, BNXN’s ‘Captain’, Burna Boy’s ‘No Sign Of Weakness’, and FOLA’s ‘Catharsis’.
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This may be tied to audience preferences, algorithm priorities on Nigerian-focused services, or limited investment in female-led projects at home.
Industry observers note that progress for women often comes from global exposure rather than local dominance. Ayra Starr and Tems have built careers through international partnerships, awards, and viral hits that do not always mirror in Nigeria’s domestic charts. Tems and Arya Starr are the top two most-streamed Nigerian female artists on Spotify, with 4.46 billion and 3.29 billion streams, respectively. Tiwa follows with 810 million streams, and others following are well below 500 million streams individually on Spotify.
The 2025 data suggests that without changes such as increased release support, better access to local promotion, or shifts in listener behaviour—the gap may persist.
The TurnTable findings serve as a benchmark for the state of gender representation in Nigerian music streaming. As Afrobeats continues to expand worldwide, the local market’s male-heavy charts stand apart from the more balanced visibility women achieve abroad.
Addressing the factors behind this divide could help align domestic success with the international gains already made by artists like Tems and Ayra Starr.
