Nigeria’s AI Gap in Music Industry

As artificial intelligence reshapes the global music industry, it is powering AI-generated vocals in the U.S., virtual idols in South Korea, and predictive hit-making tools in Scandinavia. Nigeria’s music scene is noticeably trailing behind. Despite being Africa’s most influential music market, few Nigerian artists and producers are integrating AI into their creative processes, missing a transformative wave redefining global soundscapes.

With Afrobeats generating billions and topping global charts, Nigeria’s music industry should be at the forefront of innovation. Instead, it faces a critical lag in adopting AI, one driven by structural deficiencies like underinvestment in data infrastructure, limited compute capacity, and inconsistent internet penetration.

This disconnect threatens to erode the country’s cultural dominance and global influence.

AI Trailblazers: A Glimpse of the Possible

Nkasiobi Chukwu, Head of Marketing and Communications at Mavin Records, home to global stars like Rema, Ayra Starr, and Johnny Drille, is a pioneer of AI-assisted music in Africa. In 2023, he created the continent’s first fully AI-supported Afrobeats album, leveraging tools like ChatGPT for lyric composition and AI co-producers to speed up sound design.

The result? A production cycle cut from several months to just three days, with costs under $500.

Yet, Chukwu remains a lone voice in the wilderness. “Even two years after all the work I’d done and the publicity it got, you just couldn’t find many people besides myself,” he lamented in an interview.

His 2023 innovation also gave birth to Mya Blue, an AI-generated artist that embodied what the future of Nigerian sound could look like, if only the industry dared to embrace it.

Why the Resistance?

The reluctance isn’t due to a lack of talent or opportunity. It’s emotional. Cultural. Deeply human.

“We thought the creative industry was safe, that it couldn’t be replicated. And it was a shocker to find out it could,” Chukwu explains.

In Nigeria, music is soul. It is lived. It is flawed by design, full of ad-libs, raw vocal emotion, and the spiritual rhythm of talking drums. Many local artists fear that AI might sanitise what makes Nigerian music… Nigerian.

But as Chukwu warns, romanticism without evolution is stagnation. “You no longer need expensive equipment or years of training. If you have an idea, you can bring it to life. That’s revolutionary.”

Africa Rising With or Without Nigeria

Elsewhere on the continent, AI is already part of the creative toolkit.

• South Africa’s Black Coffee, a Grammy-winning producer, uses AI for rhythm mapping and genre blending.
• Ghana’s M.anifest has explored AI for experimental songwriting.
• In 2025, Nigerian filmmaker Ope Banwo released Africa’s first AI-generated film soundtrack, with AI handling everything from score composition to mastering.

Streaming platforms are also leveraging AI to amplify African music. Rema’s “Calm Down” crossed a billion streams after being featured on AI-curated playlists, while Asake saw a 400% spike in global listens. Tools like Chartmetric and Soundcharts provide African artists with data to optimise tour routing, fan engagement, and brand partnerships.

These aren’t gimmicks; they are blueprints for the future.

Mavin Records: Leading the Way

Within Nigeria, Mavin Records is setting the pace.

Under the leadership of Rima Tahini (Director of A&R), the label is actively integrating AI in music production and distribution. At Entertainment Week Lagos 2024, Tahini highlighted the importance of using AI responsibly. Universal Music Group, Mavin’s parent company, has also been a vocal proponent of artist rights in the age of AI.

Chukwu, now overseeing Mavin’s communication strategy, is pushing for structural engagement, not just flashy projects, but a long-term shift in how AI can support creativity, not replace it.

Still, one label can’t rewrite the industry.

A Call to Action: Shape the Future, or Be Shaped by It

The way forward lies in education, collaboration, and cultural ownership. Artists must be trained, not just told, to use AI tools in ways that honour, not dilute, Nigeria’s musical heritage.

Imagine AI translating songs into French or Swahili, helping Afrobeats break language barriers across Africa. Or tools that remaster archival chants from legends like Fela Kuti or Rex Lawson, empowering Gen Z artists to remix and relive Nigerian classics.

This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about control.

“If African creators don’t shape AI, it will shape them,” Chukwu warns. And that’s a risk Nigeria cannot afford.

For a country whose music already influences global charts, the choice is clear: lead with intention or lag with regret.

AI is not the enemy of authenticity. It’s the amplifier of potential. Nigeria’s music industry stands at a crossroads; one path leads to irrelevance, the other to a renaissance.