Afrobeats sensation, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, widely recognised as Wizkid, has expressed his desire for improved governance in Nigeria and across the African continent.
During the premiere of his documentary “Wizkid: Long Live Lagos” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on Friday, the Starboy leader highlighted that effective governance is a crucial aspect he wishes to see African nations address.
He urged fellow African creatives to narrate their experiences, emphasising his optimism for the continent despite the challenges posed by inadequate governance.
He said, “I hope that every artist from Africa gets to tell their story like this. Because I’m not the only one from that hustle, we all came from there. I feel like everyone deserves the chance to tell their story like this.
“I always wish for more success for the whole culture; from music to film to sports. And I wish for better government. I’m just a very positive human being regardless of any thing. I wish the best for everyone making amazing music and amazing art from Africa.”
Meanwhile, Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Abiola Ahmed Akinbiyi, known professionally as Bella Shmurda, has claimed that many of his colleagues are unable to fund their projects without the backing of major labels due to lavish spending on trivialities.
Naijaonpoint reports that the ‘Cash App’ crooner, while featuring in a recent episode of the Afrobeats Intelligence podcast, spoke about how frivolous spending is affecting the finances of many Nigerian artists.
Shmurda stated that artists do not necessarily need to spend the bulk of their earnings on expensive jewellery and cars to build a brand, stressing that simplicity is also a form of branding.
The singer said he also made a similar mistake at the beginning of his rise to stardom, but later corrected it.