The annual ranking highlights the rich diversity of Nigerian music, from spiritually charged visuals to high-energy street anthems that captured millions of eyes and ears across the country.

Topping the list is the gospel hit “No Turning Back II” by Gaise Baba & Lawrence Oyor. The song’s powerful message of revival and spiritual reassurance struck a chord nationwide, pushing it past major Afrobeats releases to become the most-watched video of the year.

Afrobeats heavyweights also made a strong showing, with names like Shallipopi, Davido, Asake, Olamide, Wizkid, Rema, and Burna Boy dominating key spots in the top ten.

Their videos reflect both the genre’s global appeal and the local audience’s appetite for energetic, visually compelling music.

YouTube’s Top 10 Music Videos in Nigeria (2025):

1. No Turning Back II — Gaise Baba & Lawrence Oyor
2. Laho — Shallipopi (Official Video)
3. With You — Davido ft. Omah Lay (Official Video)
4. 99 — Olamide, Seyi Vibez, Asake, Young Jonn ft. Daecolm (Official Video)
5. Why Love — Asake (Official Video)
6. Baby (Is It A Crime) — Rema (Official Video)
7. My Darling — Chella (Official Visualiser)
8. Kese (Dance) — Wizkid (Official Video)
9. Laho II — Shallipopi & Burna Boy (Official Video)
10. With You — Davido ft. Omah Lay (Visualizer)

From gospel to Afrobeats, 2025 proved to be a year where Nigerian music reached new creative heights, capturing audiences both at home and abroad.

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YouTube has announced a stellar lineup of artists hailing from five countries, who will be performing at this year’s Africa Day Concert. Like previous editions, the Africa Day Concert which is in its third year will be hosted by superstar Idris Elba. The annual concert is a musical homage to Africa, showcasing the vibrant African music stars who are making headlines across the world.

The concert seeks to bring Africans, the Diaspora, and people from across the world together to celebrate a continent that is home to more than 1.5 billion people and is spawning new ways of artistic expression. This year’s concert will feature artists from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, South Africa, and Congo who are set to perform. The concert will be streamed exclusively on YouTube at 19:00 CAT / 18:00 WAT on the 25th of May, 2022.

The Africa Day Concert promises show-stopping performances from talented African music stars. “YouTube as a platform has been mainline for connecting African artists to people all around the world and the Africa Day Concert is an opportunity to reaffirm YouTube’s support for African artists as they showcase the vibrant sounds and culture that makes Africa truly unique”, says Alex Okosi, Managing Director, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA.

The highly anticipated concert will showcase musical performances that will be streamed to a global audience.  From Nigeria, talented music artists, D’banj, Davido, CKay, Yemi Alade, Reekado Banks, and Mayorkun will be performing at the virtual concert this year. Also performing from the West African region is popular Sierra Leonean recording and performing artist, Drizilik.

Also set to perform at the Africa Day Concert are singer-songwriter and poet, Busiswa Gqulu, and singer and dancer, Kamo Mpela; both from South Africa. They are known for hit songs, SBWL and Nkulunkulu respectively. Tanzanian singer, songwriter and WCB (Wasafi Classic Baby) artist,  Zuchu will be performing her hit songs at the concert while Congolese singer-songwriter, Innoss’B, the Naomi Campbell crooner rounds out the lineup of artists performing this year at the Africa Day Concert.

The concert is aimed at commemorating the foundation of the Organisation of Africa Unity on the 25th of May 1963 by using music as a platform to showcase African culture.

The artists confirmed to perform at the Africa Day Concert 2022 are (in alphabetical order):

• Busiswa (South Africa)

• Ckay (Nigeria)

• Davido (Nigeria)

• Dbanj (Nigeria)

• Drizilik (Sierra Leone)

• Innoss’B (Congo)

• Kamo Mpela (South Africa) 

• Mayorkun (Nigeria) 

• Reekado Banks (Nigeria)

• Yemi Alade (Nigeria)

• Zuchu (Tanzania)

To join the Livestream of the Africa Day Concert, please visit https://goo.gle/AfricaDayConcert.

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YouTube Music today reaffirmed its commitment to supporting African creative voices by providing financial grants, capacity development training, and advisory to two organizations that nurture African creative talent and export it.

In keeping with YouTube Music’s commitment to the development of the African creative industry, Briteswan and iManage Africa Entertainment Limited will receive support to help them scale up their initiatives to develop music creatives on the continent.

This move is set to directly impact an estimated 300 participants in initiatives led by these organisations.

Briteswan’s ‘The Audiogirl initiative’ seeks to economically empower women by closing the gender gap in the music creation segment

iManage Africa Entertainment Limited’s ‘Music Business Academy for Africa (MBA)’, is an initiative dedicated to developing a more informed and empowered workforce for the African music and entertainment industry

“We are committed to exporting African music to listeners across the world and want to continue to play our part in the development of the continent’s rapidly growing creative economy especially with respect to music”, says Addy Awofisayo, YouTube’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa.

Access to the internet has opened up opportunities for African creatives to display their talents to a global audience, thereby, creating jobs that can boost national economies. In Nigeria, the creative industry accounted for roughly 730 billion Naira (roughly 1.8 billion dollars) of Nigeria’s GDP in 2020. Through this initiative, YouTube will enable the two organisations to scale their ongoing work to help more young African creatives learn and acquire the skills to improve their craft, and export their music to the world.

“The rise of Nigeria’s globally celebrated musical artists points to the opportunities that exist in the creative economy. As we work towards the post-Covid 19 recovery of industries, it is important to be intentional about unearthing brimming talent and potential among creatives – many of whom are young people. YouTube Music’s dedication to the growth of music creatives in the region is well-timed and commended”, says Sunday Dare, Nigeria’s Minister of Youths and Sports Development.

Over the past few years, YouTube has helped spotlight African culture and export it to global audiences. Burna Boy who won the Grammy’s Global Music Award in 2021 with his album, ‘Twice as Tall’ and who has now been nominated for the third time for a Grammy Award, was spotlighted by YouTube as an Artist on the Rise in 2018. In 2019, YouTube announced an initiative to support Nigerian artists in collaboration with Mr Eazi’s empawa Africa to support 10 local artists to develop their craft. Tems and Bella Shmurda were also selected to be part of YouTube Music’s international artist development program, Foundry in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

YouTube Music also deepened investments in Black communities by opening applications to the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022, aimed at enabling Black artists, songwriters and producers worldwide to commercialise their work. Eight African artists, songwriters and producers were admitted to the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022.

“We see the support given to the two Nigerian pan-African organizations as a partnership for the advancement of music creatives in Africa who in-turn will be key players that contribute positively towards the emerging creative sector in the continent”, Awofisayo concludes.

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YouTube Music today announced the 2021 cohort for Foundry, its global artist development program with a mission to support independent musicians, helping them build sustainable careers on their own terms. Bella Shmurda, from Nigeria joins the list of 27 artists representing 14 countries and a broad spectrum of musical heritage this year.

The program received the most applications ever this year with a 450% increase in the number of applications from last year. Artists on the Foundry program will receive a grant to invest in their content and channel development, access to YouTube partner support and workshops, and marketing, social, and press promotion. Artists will have combined access to resources and teams that will enable them to create and launch their music with greater impact and global reach.

“Artists are navigating a new, increasingly digital industry this year. To adapt and grow, they are finding new ways to create content, connect with fans, and generate revenue. This year’s Foundry class celebrates artists and their courage and reduces barriers to entry,” says Addy Awofisayo, YouTube Partnerships Manager.

Foundry was launched in 2015 and was initially run as a workshop series at YouTube Spaces. Since 2017, the program has focused on long-term partnerships with independent artists and expanded internationally. It has supported more than 150 developing artists across 15 countries, including breakout alumni like Arlo Parks, Dave, Dua Lipa, Lime Cordiale, Gunna, HARDY, Natanael Cano, Novelbright, Omar Apollo, Rosalía, and Tems. The Foundry class of 2018 included Niniola and Adekunle Gold, Lagos-born  Tems was part of the 2020 class.

“Being an independent artist can mean funding your career personally, leading and working with your team to achieve all your goals. Foundry is an opportunity to elevate my career, and being a part of the program is a big win for me and for my team,” says Bella Shmurda.

This year, Foundry alumni will be paired with  artists from the new class for conversations about navigating the industry on their own terms. Tems will be paired with  Bella Shmurda and Enny, an artist from England.

“Being a part of Foundry was an amazing experience. You get to connect with so many incredible artists and build relationships with wonderful people. It’s an opportunity to grow, and connect more with the world” says Tems.

The 2021 Foundry Class reinforces YouTube’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s next generation of global music stars; playing a part in developing individual talent. The Foundry programme ensures that artists can be independent and still have a successful career in music with the support of platforms like YouTube.

Below is the full list of the Foundry Class of 2021:

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Grant applications for the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund Class of 2022  will open on 21 June 2021. Eligibility has been expanded to include songwriters and producers, allowing Black artists residing in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Canada, and the UK, in addition to the U.S., Brazil, and Australia, to apply.

YouTube Music is also launching a new partnership with a renowned music education institution, 1500 Sound Academy, founded by GRAMMY-award-winning songwriters and producers, James Fauntleroy and Larrance “Rance” Dopson. Through the inaugural #YouTubeBlack Music Future Insiders Scholarship, YouTube will fund ten full-ride scholarships to the Academy’s Live Online 1500 Music & Industry Fundamentals program.

“The YouTube Music team is excited to expand the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund and create new opportunities while also reflecting on the progress made to date,” says Alex Okosi, YouTube’s EMEA managing director for emerging markets. “The six-month scholarship term will see recipients undertake courses in music production, engineering, songwriting, mixing, music business and much more,” he adds.

Through the  inaugural Class of 2021, the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund provided resources including dedicated one-on-one support, seed funding, training and networking programs enabling the 21 grantees achieve incredible growth, not only on YouTube, but in their careers. Some of these achievements include:

• From January 2021 through April 2021, the class collectively received 1.4B views on their official artist channels

• Six artists saw over 50% growth in official artist channel subscribers (Joy Oladokun, Miiesha, BRS Kash, Jensen McRae, serpentwithfeet, and Yung Baby Tate)

• Four artists saw 200% growth on their official artist channel views (serpentwithfeet, Jensen McRae, Yung Baby Tate, and Joy Oladokun)

• As part of YouTube Music’s Africa Month celebration, Sho Madjozi, Sauti Sol, and Fireboy DML, hosted exclusive live stream virtual concerts on each of their Official Artist Channels

• Rexx Life Raj, Joy Oladokun, and Tkay Maidza performed at YouTube’s annual Brandcast event

• Mariah The Scientist performed an exclusive live set for YouTube Music Nights from Center Stage in Atlanta, in support of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)

Future Insiders aims to equip at-risk and underserved youth, who aspire to enter the music and creative industries, with skills on content development. Following the program’s early success, Future Insiders will be expanded globally with more details to be shared later this year.

Moreover, to celebrate Black culture, YouTube Music has activated #YouTubeMusic Moments – a collection of content series, live streams, and events whose primary goal is to celebrate Black culture, identity, and experiences from the perspective of Black artists and thought leaders in music.

YouTube remains committed to being an advocate and ally to the diverse communities that call the platform home and will continue to expand its efforts to support other marginalised and underrepresented communities.

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Tailor the soundtrack to your life using YouTube Music. Here’s how:

• Music to video and back – seamlessly – YouTube Music allows YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscribers to seamlessly transition between a song and its music video for uninterrupted listening and/or watching. No pauses, no interruptions, just a simple tap that keeps the music flowing. Whether Seamlessly transition between a song and its video using you’re in the mood for listening or watching (or a little of both)… it’s all here – no app switching required.

• Your Offline Mixtape – Smart downloads take the work out of downloading your favourite music. YouTube Music Offline Mixtape was the first iteration of this project, and now smart downloads automatically download up to 500 songs from your favorite playlists and albums. Users can choose the number of songs downloaded in their Settings. Plus, it only downloads at night over Wi-Fi, to save data and create a smooth updating experience.  This feature is currently available on Android with plans to bring it to iOS in the future.

• No internet? No problem – For members of YouTube Music Premium, your Offline Mixtape will automatically download on your mobile device without the need to remember to download in advance.  Perfect for long flights, road trips, and anywhere without cell signal. And Android users can opt into smart downloads for up to 500 songs automatically downloaded based on your listening history.

• Find exactly what you’re looking for with Smart Search – You can  search for “summer” to find a treasure trove of playlists for the season: from Summer Dance Classics , to California Dreamin’, and the Ultimate Family Party playlist, plus many more for every musical taste.

  • Party trick: Did you know YouTube Music search also works with emojis?! Try searching for “” to hear a sparkly summer hit from 2010…

• Stay on top of culture with the Hotlist – For the hottest videos, everyone will be talking about this summer, stay ahead of the curve with the Hotlist.

• Hosting a house party? Sorry neighbors: to amplify your music further, sync YouTube Music with your Google Home. Enjoy YouTube Music free on Google Home speakers with the perfect station, customized to your tastes based on your request – or for more control, subscribe to YouTube Music Premium to play specific music on-demand.

• Save on data & bandwidth while you’re away. To reduce mobile data charges, head to Settings where you can indicate streaming audio and/or HD video via Wi-Fi only and change audio quality while on mobile networks.

• Keep the vibe going — without the ads. Ever had friends over, the vibe is perfect, and then an ad comes on at the wrong time?  For uninterrupted, ad-free music sign up for YouTube Music Premium, which also gives you background play and downloads.
  • Get even more out of YouTube: Upgrade to YouTube Premium for the benefits of Music Premium, plus uninterrupted ad-free, background, and downloads across all of YouTube.

If you haven’t yet, you can get YouTube Music from the Play Store and App Store or check out the web player at music.youtube.com.

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Virtual hangouts with top Nigerian music stars will take place over four days during the week. Megastars Patoranking, DJ Cuppy, Adekunle Gold and Fireboy DML will be interacting with their fans on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th of September, respectively. The artists will leverage the platform to share some of their interesting plans with their fans.

Beyond celebrating the immense talent demonstrated by Nigerian music stars, the goal of YouTube Music Week is also to showcase some of the top artists and songs making waves on the YouTube Music platform. Other fun features on YouTube Music like lyrics, playlists, background play, availability of remixes and covers will also be highlighted.

• RELATED: Top 5 Comedy Channels on YouTube in Nigeria

Launched earlier this year in Nigeria, YouTube Music reinforces YouTube’s long-term commitment to support the growth of the music industry in Nigeria. The music streaming service uses the magic of YouTube to give fans official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio, plus YouTube’s tremendous catalogue of remixes, live performances, covers and music videos that can not be found anywhere else – personalized and all simply organized in one place.

Music has been scientifically found to be a therapeutic medium. It allows people to express their feelings and communicate with others. YouTube Music Week is celebrating music as a tool that helps people to endure and persevere, particularly in difficult times like these.

“Music fans have had a hard time dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic; YouTube Music week is focused on helping music fans discover music that helps them deal with this difficult period ensuring they go through it stronger,” says Adetutu Laditan, Product Marketing Manager, Google.

YouTube has helped music lovers discover music that connects with their interests. The platform has enabled creators and fans to access and be inspired by music from everywhere. In Nigeria, YouTube is redefining the entertainment experience as the online platform that exports Afrobeat.

“In the last 15 years, YouTube has played an essential role in the discovery and development of African sound, exporting African music to listeners worldwide, enabling collaborations within the global and regional music industry, and accelerating the transition to digital for fans on the continent,” adds Laditan.

• RELATED: YouTube Music and YouTube Premium launch in Nigeria

YouTube has continued to provide a platform for Nigerians to share the country’s unique and diverse culture on a global stage, and also to offer Nigerian users more relevant content. With cultural movements growing and building on YouTube, the platform plays an essential role in the discovery and development of African sound, exporting African music to listeners worldwide.

YouTube Music app is available to download from the Play Store and App Store or users can check out the web player at music.youtube.com.

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The campaign will kick off with a YouTube music festival starting this weekend (28 and 29 March). The Festival will feature African artists performing some of their hits via a YouTube live stream for their fans who are currently practicing social distancing in an effort to flatten the curve of new coronavirus infections in their communities.

Fans will enjoy free LIVE performances from Nigerian and South African artists such as Aṣa, Simi, Seyi Shay, Reekado Banks, Broda Shagi and Timi Dakolo on their respective YouTube channels.

• SEE ALSO: YouTube Music and YouTube Premium launch in Nigeria

WIth 46 African countries having reported COVID-19 cases so far, and several African countries taking steps to restrict movement within communities in order to quell the spread of the disease, artists will share the critical “Stay Home #With Me” messaging with their audiences.

“For the past decade, YouTubers have created videos such as Cook with Me, Study with Me, Read with Me, Workout with Me, Meditate with Me, and so on. So the concept of this online music festival is organically in line with what viewers know,” says Addy Awofisayo, content partnership manager for YouTube Africa.

“The Stay Home #With Me online music festival seeks to support the well-being of our community, who are increasingly enduring this disease in isolation – a state that can affect people’s mental, emotional and spiritual health,” Awofisayo says.

Performances will take place this Saturday and Sunday between 2 PM and 10 PM Central Africa Time.

See the full line up at goo.gle/stayhomewithme

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Did you know that you can actually search for songs on YouTube Music using emojis? That’s right, those funny little icons are now a handy way to find your favourite tunes.

Are you ready to find your favourite songs with the best emoji combinations? We’ve compiled a list to get you started below. Give these a try:

️- Telephone by Lady Gaga feat Beyonce

– Firework by Katy Perry

– Let It Go by Idina Menzel

– Boys by Charlie XCX

– Bodak Yellow by Cardi B

– Woman by Kesha

– Calm Like a Bomb by Rage Against The Machine

???? – Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

???? – Baby Shark by Pink Fong

4 – Bowling For Soup

– Red Hot Chili Peppers

Get YouTube Music from the Play Store and App Store today or check out the web player at music.youtube.com.

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While fans can access ad-supported YouTube Music for free, YouTube has also announced YouTube Music Premium, a paid membership that gives you background listening, downloads and an ad-free experience for N900 a month. Music fans can get one month free YouTube Music Premium here, costing N900 per month thereafter or N1,400 per month for a Family Plan.

Starting today, you can also upgrade to YouTube Premium, providing members with the benefits of Music Premium, plus ad-free, background listening, and downloads across all of YouTube, plus you get to binge-watch YouTube Originals shows and movies, including the hit series Cobra Kai and many more. Try YouTube Premium free for one month here, costing N1,100 per month after or N1,700 per month for a Family Plan.

“It’s good that YouTube Music and Premium are in Nigeria now, we need it,” says Naira Marley. “This platform is going to make things easier for me to listen to my favorite tunes, and it’s also a nice way for me to build more fans in Nigeria and across the globe. It’s about time, Youtube is more than videos, Youtube is the plug.”

Why will you love YouTube Music?

• A reimagined mobile app and brand new desktop player that are designed for music.

• YouTube Music has thousands of playlists, the official versions of millions of songs, albums, artist radio and more, in addition to all the music videos people expect from YouTube.

• Remixes, covers, live versions as well as deep cuts you can’t find anywhere else – from the biggest artists in the world to freshest voices breaking through.

• New and iconic videos from God’s Plan and Havana to Thriller,  Sledgehammer, and more.

• YouTube Music search works even if fans don’t know exactly what they’re looking for … we’ll find it if they describe it (try “that hipster song with the whistling”) or give us some lyrics (try “I make money moves”).

• YouTube Music’s personalised home screen dynamically adapts to provide recommendations based on people’s listening history, where they are and what they’re doing. At the airport? We’ll recommend something relaxing before the flight. Entering the gym? We’ll suggest some beats to get the heart-rate going.

• Thousands of playlists built to help you discover new music. That means no matter what kind of music you like, where you are, what you’re doing, or what mood you’re in, you can easily find the right playlist for that moment.

• No internet? No problem. Paid members can download music and listen ad-free and in the background. Plus, your Offline Mixtape automatically downloads songs you love just in case you forget to.

“We are excited to launch YouTube Music and Premium in Nigeria, giving fans and artists more opportunity to connect in a dedicated music experience,” says Dan Chalmers, Head of Music, YouTube EMEA. “From your favorite albums to music videos to those remixes and covers you can’t find anywhere else, YouTube Music is your personal guide through the complete world of music.”

The new YouTube Music app is available to download from the Play Store and App Store today or users can check out the web player at music.youtube.com and sign up for YouTube Premium at youtube.com/premium.

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