When FIFA announced Rema and Tyler, The Creator among artists selected for its World Cup entertainment lineup, it felt like another big moment for Nigerian music. Around the same period, Burna Boy also joined a list of international artists connected to FIFA music projects, adding to the growing link between Nigerian music and one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

For many fans, it looked like another Afrobeats success story. But this did not start today.

Before Afrobeats became one of the most-streamed sounds globally, Femi Kuti was already taking Nigerian music to international audiences. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, he performed Bang Bang Bang, one of the early moments in which Nigerian music became part of football’s biggest event.

Back then, seeing African artists on major international stages still felt unusual. Today, it barely raises eyebrows. Nigerian artists are appearing more often at global events, major festivals, award shows, and now even football entertainment lineups.

Nigerian music is no longer just local success

Over the last decade, Afrobeats has grown from a sound popular across parts of Africa into one of the fastest-growing genres in global music.

According to Spotify, Nigerian artists recorded more than 1.1 billion global streams in 2023, with listeners in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and France driving much of the growth. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has also identified Sub-Saharan Africa as one of the fastest-growing music markets, helped largely by streaming and Afrobeats’ growing popularity.

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That growth is becoming easier to see. Nigerian artists are selling out venues abroad, performing at major festivals, and appearing on international charts more regularly than before.

In 2023, Burna Boy became the first African artist to headline a UK stadium concert after selling out London Stadium. Rema’s Calm Down featuring Selena Gomez, spent more than a year on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the biggest Afrobeats songs globally.

What many once viewed as music mainly for African audiences is now part of mainstream pop culture.

FIFA’s interest in Afrobeats says a lot

Football and music have always gone hand in hand. Big tournaments rely heavily on entertainment, and music often plays a role in how fans connect with events. That helps explain why FIFA’s growing interest in Nigerian artists matters.

Sports organisations increasingly see music as part of audience engagement, especially for younger fans. And few genres currently have the kind of global youth appeal Afrobeats has.

Entertainment analyst Joey Akan has previously described Nigerian music as one of Africa’s strongest cultural exports, noting that it is no longer treated as a niche genre internationally.

There is also a business side to this. According to PwC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook, Nigeria remains one of Africa’s biggest entertainment markets, while music streaming and digital consumption continue to rise. International labels and brands are also investing more in African music than they did years ago.

For FIFA, working with recognised Nigerian artists is not only about entertainment. It is also about connecting with audiences already listening to the music.

Nigerian music has entered a different phase

What stands out now is consistency.

Years ago, African artists occasionally gained international attention, but the momentum often faded quickly. Nigerian music has managed to stay visible.

Today, collaborations between Nigerian and international artists happen regularly. Nigerian producers are influencing sounds beyond Africa, and global festivals are increasingly booking Nigerian performers. Even football tournaments are using Afrobeats as part of their entertainment programming.

But none of this happened overnight. Before the sold-out concerts and billion streams, artists like Fela Kuti and Femi Kuti spent years introducing Afrobeat to audiences outside Nigeria.

Today’s generation is building on that work. And for Nigerian music, the global attention no longer looks temporary.

Cynthia Nwanonyiri