Veteran Nigerian rapper Jude Abaga, better known as M.I, has alleged that internet fraudsters contribute significantly to the funding of the country’s music industry.
Speaking on the So Nigerian podcast, M.I described the situation as a national embarrassment, noting that most of the financial support for Nigerian music either comes from foreign sources or from proceeds of online fraud.
“There’s a lot of controversy when people talk about Yahoo Yahoo because, for many artists, that is the funding they have,” he said. “It’s an indictment on our country that such talented musicians rely heavily on funding from the West and the fraud industry. It shows something is wrong. Hopefully, we can do better.”
The rapper urged wealthy Nigerians to invest more in the creative sector, stressing that at present, young people are largely the ones financially supporting other young talents in the industry.
