01/29/2026
Nigeria stands as the capital of Afrobeats in the world, driving billions into the global music economy ($2 billion annually). Yet, countless creators face structural barriers to accessing their earned royalties, from weak bargaining power to inefficient collection systems.
As creatives scaling globally, we must prioritize bridging this gap urgently. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are propelling Nigerian sounds to worldwide audiences, transforming cultural influence into tangible economic value.
Royalties to Nigerian artists more than doubled from 2023 to 2024. Platforms like Spotify, which offer Afrobeats as a selectable genre to improve discoverability, serve as a model for others yet many digital audio workstations (DAWs) still lack built-in Afrobeats presets or genre-specific tools, despite Afrobeats being recognized by the Grammys. Just as hip-hop has dedicated visibility in these tools, Afrobeats deserves equal support.
Distribution giants such as DistroKid need to match this momentum with reasonable thresholds for payouts, accessible payment gateways, which are essential for sustaining growth, and agreed-upon terms.
Fair royalty access is an industry imperative, not charity. The world can't keep sidelining creators from their rightful earnings, as highlighted in reports exposing systemic royalty shortfalls across the continent. Building reliable mechanisms fuels sustainable expansion for everyone involved.
Paperwork to claim certain royalties makes it hard for rightful owners to claim what they've earned. For example, there's a particular platform that requested a driver's license, a voter's card, and one other document (all three) before we could successfully help a client sign up for earned royalties.
These demands are too much compared to practices in other parts of the world. Worse still, what happens to those who are physically challenged? How can they possibly navigate these excessive barriers? Many foreign platforms have shut down access for administrators with local numbers, while local phone companies further compound the problem by reassigning numbers tied to biometrics after just a few years abroad, often blocking 2FA access entirely.
Doors are being shut systematically, and with the very short window to claim earnings, royalties vanish forever into the merciless jaws of the black box.
Payment processing hurdles like those seen with PayPal compound these royalty access challenges, particularly in emerging markets like Nigeria. I've come across a series of complaints regarding PayPal's recent comeback to Nigeria after years of restricted services. A significant amount of funds got trapped when they withdrew years ago, and there's been no report on whether these funds will be returned, leaving many creators in uncertainty and underscoring the urgent need for transparent, inclusive financial systems that don't sideline African creatives.
✍️ Oddiah, Esq.
🅱ARRODDY 🅰DVISORY
ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴀʟᴇɴᴛꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ꜱʜᴀᴅʏ ᴅᴇᴀʟꜱ
