When it comes to entertainment in Africa, Nigeria is one of the standout nations. This covers industries from music to fashion, along with other global favorites like sports and film. In fact, when it comes to almost every metric in the industry, Nigeria has creative ambassadors leaving their mark—on both local and global scales.
This year, Nigerians have stepped up in a variety of ways to influence the entertainment sector. But what are the biggest trends that have started to take off this year? And what’s behind all the development in Nigerian entertainment? Using this year’s PWC Entertainment & Media Outlook report on Africa, let’s explore what’s going on behind the scenes in Nigeria.
Inside the Rise
There are a few core developments that have influenced the rise of entertainment and media trends in Nigeria. Back in 2016, 4G internet was still being rolled out around the country. However, fast forward to 2023 and the country is now busy rolling out 5G connections. The added connectivity has put the power into the hands of many independent creators throughout the country.
Similarly, millions spent added time at home in 2020 and 2021. This helped inspire many Nigerians to finally launch their passion projects—from Soundcloud accounts for musicians like Teni to new thriller hits like 2021’s King of Boys: The Return of the King. As entertainment spaces grow and develop, creators are no longer going it alone—they have the infrastructure to channel and realize their ideas.
Lastly, many Nigerians have also gained access to boosted technology since the last PWC report was released. As technology becomes more accessible, creators are able to outline and develop their ideas with a greater sense of independence.
eSports Slowly Taking Shape
Over the last decade, gaming has taken off throughout the country. Global favorites like poker have also become popular. In fact, many are using online platforms to learn basic poker terms and start playing Texas Hold’em in tournaments. Most are playing poker straight from mobile devices thanks to boosted internet connections.
Beyond global staples like poker, Nigerians are also joining the international eSports craze. In fact, 2023 marked the very first Nigeria Esports Championship, which was organized by Kucheza Gaming. The event saw over 1,000 participants compete live. Later on, a Nigerian team was brought on to participate in the 2023 Afro-Arab eSports League after an exclusive invitation was offered.
Nollywood on a Global Scale
One of Nigeria’s longest-standing footholds in the entertainment world is its Nollywood, a name on par with Bollywood and Hollywood. New hits like Living in Bondage: Breaking Free are building on earlier hits from the 1990s at a time when Nollywood first took off. Similarly, 2020 saw a remake of another crime drama from the 1990s, RattleSnake: The Ahanna Story. The fact that there’s enough interest from fans to launch multiple reboots is a solid sign of success.
However, there are just as many new films being made—and launched by streaming giants like Netflix. In the last few years, Netflix has helped create and launch hits like King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021) and Oloture(2019). With Nigerians working behind the scenes on these projects, the paint a bright future for local entertainment at every level.
Nigeria Goes to the Grammy’s
Gaming and filmmaking aside, Nigeria’s biggest foray into entertainment must be its long list of headlining musicians. Over the last five years alone, Nigerians have made their way onto global stages—and even made appearances at events like the Grammys. Rema, for example, is now a household name in most countries thanks to hits like ‘Dumebi’ in 2019 and ‘Calm Down’ in 2022—the latter of which was remixed by Selena Gomez.
Artists like Rema, Teni, and Wizkid have also helped steer the formation of a new genre between Afrobeat, Afrowave, and Afropop. Wizkid, similar to Rema, has made major cross-hits with huge artists. Beyoncé remixed his song ‘Brown Skin Girl’, which led him to win a Grammy Award for Best Music Video in 2021. Burna Boy also won a Grammy for Best Global Music Album in the same year.
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