Spotify says music streaming in Nigeria has surged by an average of 163.5 per cent over the past five years since the platform launched in the country, highlighting rapid growth in listening habits and the rise of local music on digital platforms, a company report shows.

In a statement to media and industry partners, Spotify said the expansion reflects strong engagement from Nigerian users who have embraced music streaming at an accelerating pace since February 2021, when the service entered the market. Triple-digit growth in listening has been sustained through 2025, driven by a mix of local and international sounds.

At the centre of the boom is Afrobeats, which registered a 5,022 per cent increase in streams within Nigeria between 2021 and 2025, according to the data. Other genres also saw remarkable increases with Amapiano up by 10,330 per cent, Gospel and praise by 5,499 per cent, Hip-hop and rap by 3,020 per cent and R&B by 2,602 per cent over the same period.

Spotify further reported that indigenous-language listening has surged, with domestic streams rising by 554 per cent in 2024 and 87 per cent in 2025 alone, while global listening to Nigerian language music increased by 141 per cent in 2024 and 41 per cent in 2025. This trend points to a growing appetite for local culture and sounds both within and outside Nigeria.

The number of Nigerian artists with music available on the platform has also expanded by around 158 per cent since launch, and users have created more than 25 million playlists, underlining active participation by listeners in shaping music discovery and curation. In 2025 alone, Nigerian users streamed over 1.4 million hours of music on the platform.

Spotify described the listening profile in Nigeria as young and adventurous with the average listener aged around 26, and typical users streaming a wide range of artists and genres. This diversified engagement reflects how digital platforms are helping to promote Nigerian music and cultural exports on a global scale.