Veteran Nigerian rapper, Jude Abaga, better known as M.I, has sparked debate with claims that internet fraudsters and foreign investors provide the bulk of funding for the country’s booming music scene.
Speaking on a recent episode of the So Nigerian podcast, M.I described the situation as a damning reflection of Nigeria’s failure to properly invest in its creative sector.
“There’s a lot of controversy when people talk about Yahoo Yahoo, because for a lot of artists, that is the funding they have,” he said. “It’s an indictment on our country that we have such talented musicians, yet the major funding for the industry comes from the West and the fraud industry. It shows that something is wrong. Hopefully, we can do better.”
The rapper called on wealthy Nigerians to take the lead in financing music talents, lamenting that at present, young artists are mostly supported by their peers rather than established local investors.
M.I’s comments have added fresh urgency to conversations about building sustainable, homegrown financial support systems for Nigeria’s creative economy.
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