Global Afrobeats superstar David ‘Davido’ Adeleke has urged African governments to invest more in creative spaces as well as provide financial support to artists.
Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, he urged African artists to stop seeking validation from outside Africa, emphasizing the growing potential of Africa’s entertainment industry.
This was during a panel discussion under the theme “Creative competition: How can Africa claim its place in the global entertainment industry?”
The global superstar, who is also the founder of the music label Davido Music Worldwide, emphasized his commitment to changing Africa’s narrative on a global scale through his music fame.
Having been born in the US, Davido said he could have stayed and done his music there, but he decided to move to Africa.
“I moved back to Nigeria, started music, and then my music took me back to America,” he said, underscoring that African artists’ goal should not be to seek validation of their music from America or the UK.
The Afrobeats star, who recently released his new album “5ive,” noted that there is still a need for entertainment infrastructure in Africa.
Davido has been touring the world and performing live, but he stressed that it is a challenge to deliver a standard performance in Africa like he does in the West due to the lack of good facilities.
He pointed out that only Rwanda and a few other countries have Arenas that can accommodate their performances, encouraging investment in entertainment infrastructure as it would stop artists from traveling outside the continent seeking better facilities.
“The governments obviously can help us a lot with funding. Not just for me, but for the artists that are coming up. I can try for myself some more, but there are so many artists out there who are so talented, but they don’t have the means. I think that is what is missing.”
Davido
While the creative industry employs a large number of young people, what is often the case is that the creatives, finance people, philanthropists, and lawyers do not speak the same language, which hinders investment in the industry, Akunna Cook, the CEO of Next Narrative Africa, said.
She noted that the industry has been growing, making it worthy of increased investment.
In Rwanda, some of the figures in the creative industry had also echoed the same concern, noting that investors should overcome their fear of investing in the entertainment industry as artists continue to prove their worth and reveal untapped potential.
Davido Attributes Criticisms to Wealthy Background
The Afrobeats superstar opened up about the criticism he’s faced throughout his music career, attributing much of it to his wealthy background.
The singer said he believes he is the most criticised artist in Nigeria, not because of his music, but because of the perception that he was born into privilege. “I’m the biggest criticised artist in Nigeria,” he said. “I mean, I’m on fire and I’ve been on fire for a while.”
He explained that early in his career, his family background was unknown to the public, which helped shield him from the backlash often directed at so-called “rich kids” in the music industry.
“In the beginning, they didn’t know that my dad was rich. So the stigma of a rich kid doing music didn’t end up as crazy as it should have been for me. It was too late — I already had three hit songs before they found out.”
Davido
Davido, the son of Nigerian billionaire Adedeji Adeleke, emphasized that his passion for music was genuine, saying he was ready to sacrifice everything to pursue it.
“I just wanted to do music. I didn’t care if I had to become homeless. At that point, that was all I wanted to do. Nothing would stop me.”
Davido
Despite the criticism, he noted that he continues to thrive musically. “Over time, people started hating me because my dad is rich, but I keep on dropping good music, and it keeps working out,” he said.
The artist reflected on the nature of fame and public perception.
“It happens to everyone. Once you become the biggest in anything, you will get criticised. You are running for an election, people love you, and they vote for you. But when you become president, they hate you.”
Davido
Davido remains one of Africa’s most successful and influential artists, with a string of global hits and multiple awards to his name.
READ ALSO: NIC Partners Ghana Insurance College to Launch Tech-Driven Training Centre
