Nigerian artist Wizkid has become the first African artist to surpass 10 billion streams on Spotify, according to data from the platform current as of January 2026, reports Chart Data.
The milestone underscores the surging global influence of African music on international streaming services. A wave of African artists now command substantial audiences on the platform, with Burna Boy following with over 9.5 billion streams, Rema with 5.6 billion, Tems with 4.4 billion, South Africa’s Tyla with 3.7 billion, and Ayra Starr with 3.3 billion streams.
Wizkid’s achievement follows more than a decade of cross continental hits and international collaborations. A key driver of the total is his contribution to Drake’s “One Dance,” which alone accounts for nearly 4 billion streams.
His global anthem “Essence” featuring Tems has generated over 334 million streams. His Made In Lagos (Deluxe) album remains his most streamed project on the platform, exceeding 1 billion streams since its release.
New data from Luminate’s 2025 Year End Music Report provides context for the streaming milestone, illustrating Nigeria’s expanding influence in the global music industry. According to the report, Nigeria climbed four places in Luminate’s Export Power Rankings from number 23 in 2024 to number 19 in 2025.
The Export Power Score is a composite metric that evaluates a country’s ability to export music globally. It considers factors including the international streaming reach of domestic artists, the number of importing countries, and the volume of streams generated abroad. Nigeria’s rise reflects the growing popularity of Afrobeats and the structured growth of Africa’s music export economy.
Further emphasizing local listener loyalty, the Luminate report identifies Nigeria as the market with the highest percentage of local artist streaming in the Middle East and Africa region. An estimated 62.2% of all on demand audio and video streams in Nigeria are from domestic artists, indicating strong homegrown support.
Luminate’s data indicates that African markets are increasingly vital to global music consumption trends, with streaming growth in regions such as Sub Saharan Africa outpacing many mature markets.
The report also notes that short form video platforms and soundtrack placements are significant drivers of catalog streaming, a trend that benefits Africa’s diverse music archives.
Additionally, the rise of what Luminate terms “superfan” culture in Africa aligns with global fandom evolution highlighted in its research. Listeners identified as superfans are more likely to purchase merchandise, attend live events, and engage across multiple platforms. In Nigeria, these superfans are 33% more likely to listen to artists from outside their own market compared to the average listener.
Luminate’s 2025 report frames the current industry shift as a move away from what it calls the “streaming only” era toward a “Transmedia Landscape.”
In this model, artists succeed by engaging audiences across music, film, gaming, and social media. Wizkid and his contemporaries have leveraged this model, building global audiences through strategic releases, features, and a multimedia presence.
