Ado Salisu
As Nigeria marked its 65th Independence anniversary, veteran music producer, songwriter and entrepreneur, Temidayo Joseph Babatope, popularly known as Puffy Tee, has hailed the global rise of Afrobeats while urging greater government and corporate support for the industry.
In a message to commemorate the anniversary, Puffy Tee said Afrobeats has placed Nigeria firmly on the global music map but insisted that more needed to be done to fully harness its potential.
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“Afrobeats is recognized globally, but only a few big-time artists have made it to the top,” he said. “Nigeria is filled with talent. Once these talents are harnessed properly, we will have top 20s and 30s Afrobeats artists in the world. We are halfway there.”
The Ekiti-born producer, who has worked on hit songs such as Yahooze, noted that while Nigerian artists are achieving international recognition, financial rewards remain far below global standards.
“In the area of revenue, funds earned from Spotify, iTunes, Apple and others are not at the right level. The payback to artists and the production teams does not equate the hard work put into releasing songs,” he lamented.
Puffy Tee called on the three tiers of government to introduce policies, infrastructure, and funding that would help the industry thrive and compete favorably with Europe and America. He also urged corporate organizations and wealthy individuals to move beyond token gestures and invest significantly in entertainment.
“The private sector is doing its part, but a lot more is needed. Tokenism will only do more harm to us who toil night and day to make Nigerians sing and smile,” he added.
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He further advised that Nigeria should host multiple national and international Afrobeat festivals, which would boost cultural exchange and strengthen the country’s entertainment industry.
“Reggae was once a global sensation but has faded. Now, Afrobeats is at the center stage, and we must sustain the momentum,” Puffy Tee said.
Praising initiatives such as the Next Afrobeat Stars (NAS), which scouts and nurtures talent with corporate sponsorship, he said such platforms are vital to discovering the next generation of stars.
Puffy Tee, who has spent over three decades in the industry, stressed that regulating digital music platforms was also necessary to ensure musicians and record labels in Nigeria are not shortchanged.