Broadcasting
Gen Zs shaping musical preferences and growing artists’ fandom across Sub Saharan Africa
This past year has seen many artists drop countless brilliant songs which have been streamed numerous times on Spotify, particularly by Gen Zs, who are the most tech savvy generation currently alive. While a lot can be said about this generation, aged between 11 and 26 years, what we can all agree on is their influence on popular culture, music being no exception.
And while listening behaviours differ from one person to another, an exercise in which artists and tracks unite Gen Z across Sub Saharan Africa is perhaps one step closer to understanding what makes the Africasn Gen Zs move and groove, as seen in this year’s Spotify Wrapped.
Which artists came out on top?
Canadian rapper Drake takes up the number one spot in 2023, in part thanks to his collaborative album with 21 Savage on Her Loss which dropped late 2022, as well as the release of his highly anticipated album For All the Dogs in October.
Afrobeats continues to be a very popular genre amongst Gen Z’s as Nigerian Afrobeats artists such as Burna Boy, Asake, Davido, Rema and Omah Lay find themselves on the top ten list thanks to their consistent contributions throughout the year. Burna Boy, Asake and Davido all dropped new albums this year while Rema and Omah Lay released deluxe versions of their previous albums.
However, it was not only Afrobeats musicians who Gen Z gravitated towards this year, Drake’s Canadian counterpart The Weeknd was also streamed numerous times by Gen Z’s this past year which can be credited to the release of the deluxe version of his 2016 album Starboy. American Hip hop artist Travis Scott dropped his highly anticipated album Utopia which fans had been anticipating for 5 years, so naturally he too is in the top ten most streamed artists by Gen Zs in SSA.
Despite not releasing solo projects throughout the year, 21 Savage and Future are also on the list of most streamed artists by Gen Z’s across Sub-Saharan Africa, showing the generation’s affinity for international rap music.
Which were the grooviest songs of the year?
If the top songs streamed by Gen Z tell us anything, it is that they were in the mood to dance the whole year. Nine out of the top 10 songs are African and are either rooted in Afrobeats or Amapiano, with a couple of songs fusing both genres.
Despite being the only Hip hop song in the top 10, Sprinter by British artists Dave and Central Cee is in second place in a dance-genre-dominated list, which is no surprise as the song received global love from Gen Z, who enjoyed the banger made by two of England’s most popular stars.
Nigeria dominates this list too, with Ruger’s Asiwaju coming at the top, and also making an appearance is Asake’s Lonely At The Top, the artist’s testimonial on the life of fame. Off his highly anticipated album Timeless, Davido has two songs that the Gen Z’s cannot get enough of, FEEL and UNAVAILABLE featuring Musa Keys, both in the top ten.
Mnike, the Amapiano song that took social media by storm is the only South African song in the top ten, showing that there is something to be said on the power of virality. Meanwhile, Ayra Starr’s Rush is the only track by a female artist that’s in the top ten.
What does this tell us about Gen Z’s?
Gen Z’s are known for being hip and full of “vibes”, so it is no surprise that most of the artists and songs that they are streaming are mostly rooted in dance genres such as Afrobeats and Amapiano. Mnike, one of the biggest Amapiano songs to come out of South Africa this year, birthed several dance challenges on social media which had a huge role to play in the success of the song.
What makes these songs unite Gen Z’s is their ability to not only bring out the urge to dance, but also their spiritual and love undertones. Songs like Asiwaju and Sprinter are two completely different songs, but their subtle and less subtle braggadocious nature help represent a whole generation which has often been thought of as being too expressive, while Rush by Ayra Starr taps into Gen Z’s desire to grind and pursue success without the negative energy.
Gen Z’s value authenticity and self-expression, and all these ten songs capture these values either through the use of African music to tell authentic stories of love, success, and pain, or through Sprinter’s employment of UK rap which Gen Z’s have grown to love and appreciate over the past few years.
Spotify 2023 Wrapped data show that Afrobeats is not only the biggest genre across Sub-Saharan Africa, it also unites different generations in a region that thrives off authentic, self-expression music that captures their love for dance and a sense of freedom.
Afro-pop star Joeboy takes centre stage this week as he features on the Easter edition of African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored magazine programme on CNN.
In this episode, the Nigeria-born singer sits down with show anchor, Larry Madowo, in Lagos, where he shares the story of his journey from a young university student with big dreams to becoming one of Afrobeats’ most recognised voices.
Long before global attention, Joeboy, born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus, started out experimenting with music and sharing covers online. His 2017 cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” marked a turning point, helping him transition fully into singing and setting the stage for what was to come.
That moment soon opened new doors, including a connection with Mr. Eazi, who brought him into the emPawa Africa talent programme. This provided support and exposure for his music to reach a wider audience, laying the foundation for his professional career. The alliance also birth “Fààjí,” which featured Mr. Eazi in 2018, after which he was signed to Warner Music Africa.
Under this partnership, Joeboy released his hit single “Baby” in 2019, followed by “Beginning,” which has 23 million views on YouTube. He also released “Love & Light” the same year and featured Mayorkun in the tracks “Don’t Call Me” and “All for You”
Since then, the 29-year-old has gone on to release two albums, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic in February 2021 and Body & Soul in 2023, while earning recognition across the continent, including awards for his contributions to African pop music. He won Best Artist in African Pop at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and Best Pop at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.
The programme will air on Saturday at 7.30 a.m., with several repeat broadcasts scheduled across the weekend and into the following week. 11 a.m. on Saturday; on Sunday at 3.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. This continues on Monday at 3 a.m. and 5.45 p.m, and on Tuesday at 5.45 p.m. The schedule will be repeated next week until 3 a.m. on Monday.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), seeking to overturn a Federal High Court judgement that restrained it from imposing fines on radio and television stations across the country.
NBC
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, on behalf of a three-member panel, upheld the earlier ruling and set aside the fines imposed by the NBC on 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019, for alleged breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The panel was presided over by Justice Abba Mohammed, with Justice Donatus Okorowo as the third member.
According to a statement issued by Idowu Adewale, Communications Officer of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), the unanimous decision of the Court of Appeal stemmed from a suit filed by the non-governmental organisation in November 2021, challenging the NBC’s powers to impose fines on broadcasters.
The Federal High Court, in its judgement delivered on May 10, 2023, by Justice James Omotosho, ruled in favour of MRA after the NBC failed to defend the suit.
The court held that fines are sanctions imposed on persons found guilty of criminal offences and, under Nigerian law, only courts of law have the authority to impose such penalties.
Setting aside the fines of ₦500,000 each imposed on the affected stations, Justice Omotosho stated that the NBC “is neither a court nor a judicial tribunal to make pronouncements on the guilt of broadcast stations, notwithstanding what the NBC Code says.”
He added that the Commission’s actions violated the Constitution.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the NBC filed a motion in July 2023, urging the same court to set aside the judgement on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction and had reached its decision without considering relevant facts.
However, in November 2023, Justice Omotosho dismissed the application, describing it as futile and an afterthought, noting that available evidence showed the Commission had been duly served but failed to appear in court to defend the case.
The NBC subsequently approached the Court of Appeal in July 2024, seeking to overturn the judgement.
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At the hearing on February 4, 2026, Mr Victor Ogude (SAN), leading Mr Kehinde Wilkey for the NBC, adopted his brief of argument and made additional submissions.
Counsel to MRA, Ezenwa Anumnu, also adopted his brief and responded accordingly.
In its ruling, the appellate court agreed with MRA’s position that the NBC, having failed to contest the suit at the Federal High Court, could not raise fresh challenges at the appellate level.
Justice Oyewumi held that the appeal lacked merit and accordingly dismissed it.
With this decision, MRA has secured victory in the first of two appeals involving the NBC over separate Federal High Court judgements barring the Commission from imposing fines on broadcast stations.
The second appeal, filed by the NBC against a similar judgement delivered on January 17, 2024 by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, is still pending. The Court of Appeal heard arguments in that matter on March 25, 2026 and has reserved judgement.
In that case, the NBC is challenging a ruling arising from a suit filed by MRA after the Commission imposed fines of ₦5 million each on a television station and three pay-TV platforms in 2022 for allegedly undermining national security through the broadcast of documentaries on banditry in Nigeria.
Dr.Shaibu Husseini, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), has called for stronger distribution frameworks within Nigeria’s film industry to ensure that locally produced content achieves global visibility.
He urged film festivals across the country to evolve beyond networking platforms into active marketplaces where filmmakers could secure distribution deals. He stressed that festivals must attract distributors, exhibitors, streaming platforms, and marketers to create tangible opportunities for filmmakers.
Husseini made this call while delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2026 edition of the Coal City Film Festival held in Enugu.
“Film festivals must become gateways to distribution where filmmakers leave not just with applause, but with real opportunities,” he said.
Husseini expressed personal delight at hosting the event in Enugu, his birth state, noting the city’s rich cultural heritage and longstanding contribution to Nigeria’s creative landscape.
He commended the festival organisers, particularly the Festival Director, Uche Agbo, for their resilience and commitment in sustaining the
initiative. According to him, the Coal City Film Festival has grown into a significant cultural platform and a must-attend cinematic event in South East Nigeria.
Speaking on the festival’s theme, “Local Stories, Global Screens,” Husseini emphasised the importance of authenticity in storytelling. He noted that films rooted in local realities, languages, and cultural truth often resonate more strongly with global audiences.
He cited notable Nigerian productions such as King of Boys by Kemi Adetiba, The Wedding Party by Mo Abudu, Anikulapo by Kunle Afolayan,
“Black Book” by Editi Effiong, and “Lionheart” by Genevieve Nnaji as examples of culturally grounded stories that have gained international recognition on platforms such as Netflix and at global film festivals.
While acknowledging the growth in film production across Nigeria, the NFVCB boss identified distribution as a major bottleneck in the industry. He observed that many high-quality films struggle to reach audiences both locally and internationally due to limited distribution channels.
Reaffirming the Board’s commitment to industry development, Husseini stated that the NFVCB has continued to reposition itself as a partner in progress by engaging stakeholders, improving classification processes, and promoting a balance between creative freedom and social responsibility.
However, he raised concerns over increasing non-compliance with regulatory requirements, noting that some filmmakers bypass the Board by releasing unclassified films or operating without proper licensing.
He said all films and video works must be submitted to the NFVCB for classification and registration before being released on any platform, including digital platforms such as YouTube.
“This is a legal obligation, and the Board will not hesitate to take decisive action against defaulters,” he warned, adding that regulation is essential for protecting the industry, audiences, and national values.
Looking ahead, Husseini assured stakeholders of the Board’s continued collaboration with filmmakers and festival organisers to build a structured, sustainable, and globally competitive Nigerian film industry.
He concluded by commending the organisers of the Coal City Film Festival for their vision and contribution to Nigeria’s cultural economy, urging filmmakers to continue telling authentic stories that can resonate across global screens.
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