YouTube partners with Mr Eazi to empower Nigerian artists

YouTube’s global head of music, Lyor Cohen, said the new partnership would see the streaming platform support 10 emerging Nigerian musicians.

“It’s critical to develop the next generation of talent and there is so much talent exploding out of Nigeria and the African continent right now. Africa is setting the tempo all around the globe,” Cohen said.

“We’re incredibly proud that YouTube has been a mainline for African artists to connect all over the world and by supporting one of the leading African trailblazers like Mr Eazi and his emPawa initiative, we’re excited to see how these artists supercharge their careers and grow their fan base on YouTube.”

Cohen said the streaming platform would also provide funds for artists to produce videos and new music and receive mentoring.

Speaking about the latest development, Mr Eazi said: “This partnership with YouTube is very exciting as it will take emPawa and its artists to a whole new level. “We’ve already achieved great success with our own resources, so there’s no telling how far these artists will go with the backing of such a global company. It’s something I wish someone had created when I first started making music. Sometimes, all it takes is one person to believe in you.”

The announcement was made during the third annual Google for Nigeria conference on 24 July in Lagos where the company showcased a series of new products and tools designed to help consumers in Africa. The company also pledged an additional $4 million towards youth development.

Launched in November 2018, emPawa Africa supports unsigned young African artists with a view to see them reach their full potential. The programme has so far supported 22 Nigerian artists and 100 artists in total from 11 African countries.

Below is a video of Nigerian singer Joeboy, whose emPawa-backed single ‘Baby’ has garnered the artist about 6 million views on YouTube.