Nigeria’s music industry has evolved into a $2 billion powerhouse, propelled by a wave of chart-topping artists whose influence extends far beyond the country’s borders.
In 2023 alone, Nigerian artists generated millions in royalties from global platforms, with Spotify reporting a 25% year-on-year increase in payouts to local acts.
The sector’s rapid growth is also feeding the broader economy, boosting tourism, fashion, nightlife, and digital exports.
Yet behind every hit single and sold-out tour stands a cadre of strategic power players: the artist managers. These professionals negotiate contracts, shape public images, and craft the global rollouts that turn local tracks into international anthems.
This list highlights some of Nigeria’s most influential artist managers between 2023 and 2025, selected based on their role in shaping the success of some of the country’s biggest chart-topping musicians.
This research draws from publicly available data across multiple music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Boomplay, and Audiomack, as well as industry reports, interviews, and press coverage.
The selection process considered the following criteria:
- The number of hit songs managed artists have released in the last two to three years, measured by consistent presence on streaming and download charts.
- Sustained relevance over the period under review, rather than short-term spikes in popularity.
- Management consistency, measured by how well the manager has navigated challenges, market shifts, and career growth for their artist.
Note: this is not a ranking but a curated spotlight on the strategists behind Nigeria’s biggest music successes.
Bose Ogulu, fondly called Mama Burna, is a Nigerian academic, businesswoman, and one of Africa’s most prominent talent managers.
Ogulu first managed Burna Boy’s career from his early days until 2014, and after a short break, she returned in 2017, helping steer him toward international superstardom. Known for her charisma and bold stage presence, she has accepted numerous awards on his behalf, often delivering speeches that resonate beyond music.
Under her guidance, Burna Boy’s career has reached historic heights. His sixth studio album Love, Damini (July 2022) became the highest-debuting Nigerian album on the Billboard 200 and set records in France, the Netherlands, and the UK.
- In October 2022, he was awarded the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic for his contributions to music.
- By 2023, Burna Boy had become the first African artist with two albums surpassing one billion streams each on Spotify, and Rolling Stone ranked him 197th on its list of the 200 greatest singers of all time.
- That same year, his hit Last Last swept the Afrobeats Single of the Year and Song of the Year at The Headies.
Beyond managing artists, Ogulu is the founder and CEO of Spaceship Collective — the umbrella for Spaceship Records and Spaceship Publishing. Her work has earned her numerous accolades, including the 2022 Headies Special Recognition Award, the Manager of the Year award at the Artists & Manager Awards, and the History Maker Award at the 2023 Best of Africa Awards.
