Nigeria is not alien to multitalented men and women across a spectrum. Be it in literature, film, art, and fashion, they set the pace on what excellence should look like. Crucial to this excellence are Nigerian women who create high standards for cultural production as talent managers, book editors, and art curators.
Although criticised as being heavily male-centered, the Nigerian music space would not be where it is today without the contributions of women. In the music industry, women have made and continue to make their mark as singers, A&R professionals, and music video directors.
In this listicle, More Branches documents fourteen women in the Nigerian music industry who everyone must watch and pay attention to.
- Viveeyan
Popularly known for appearing in the 2016 season of The Voice Nigeria, Viveeyan is a Nigerian-American singer/songwriter and vocalist with a background in Law. Some of her notable releases include the Slice EP in 2023 and, most recently, the SOLSTICE EP in 2026.
She is also associated with music collectives like Indie Vibe House Party and was featured on the Tales We Tell At Home album. In it, she was a vocalist on the Kilimanjaro track with Kobi Wolf.
She continues to push music that is known for being soulful and deeply emotional.
- Kaey
Full name Okekeninyohe Success Ijeh, her breakout came from a 2022 cover of Johnny Drille’s How Are You My Friend. Following that, she released an EP titled 333, which showed her versatility across multiple genres such as Afropop, dancehall, soul, and R & B. She was recently featured on Track 2 of Wizard Chan’s Healer’s Chapel album.
- Kohsea
Born Mbadugha Pearl Kosisochukwu, Koshea is a fast-rising Nigerian R n B/Pop singer and songwriter. Based in Lagos, she was born in Port Harcourt and left a traditional career path to pursue music professionally.
Although her move to Lagos in 2022 to face music full-time was against her family’s wishes, she is fast becoming someone to watch in the music scene.
Some of her singles include Flights, Sugar, Who Goes U and Deep Freezer.
- Kaliné
Kaline Akinkugbe is a self-managed independent Nigerian singer, songwriter, and pianist who has composed music for the stage and for film. Trained at Berklee College of Music, she is recognised for blending cinematic, soulful, and emotional rhythms into the work she composes. She has composed music for films like The Herd, Find A Way, Baby Farm, and Breath of Life.
- SGaWD
Popularly known as Seddy, SGaWD is a Nigerian alté and hip-hop rapper known for infusing genres like electronica, Afropop, and House into her artistry as a rapper. A trained lawyer, she left Law to go into music full-time and is a fast-rising star with EPs and albums like Savage Bitch Juice and Tha Gawd – Side A in her portfolio.
- Dasweetthin
Born Nathalie Wemambu, Dasweetthin is a Nigerian singer-songwriter, lawyer, filmmaker, and music executive based in Ireland, offering consultancy services in music and film. She is the founder of 730 Multimedia Consultancy and is also the brain behind The Indie Vibe House Party collective. As a singer, she was featured on the Tales We Tell At Home album and also played key roles in its production.
She managed A & R services for artistes, Viveeyan and Rooky Kamiz, while juggling experience in opera singing and music writing.
- Ugoccie
Born in Aba, Abia State, Ugoccie is an Afro-indigenous singer, songwriter, and rapper known for weaving Igbo storytelling into a unique mix of highlife, afrobeats, hip-hop, and RnB. She has worked as an actor and radio host and went viral on TikTok in 2021 with the track Do You Really Love Me?, earning her a Rookie of the Year nomination at the 2022 Headies Awards. She has since gone on to create EPs like Voice of the East and to collaborate with other Igbo indigenous artists like Umu Obiligbo. Some of her hit tracks include Obi Cubana, Ifenkili, Man on Fire, and Achalugo.
- Nyineé (fka RnB Princess)
Nyineé is a Lagos-based singer and songwriter who describes herself as an “old soul in a Gen Z’s body”. She is a performer known for infusing Afrobeat into R&B, and in November 2022, she released an EP titled Becoming. Some tracks on it include Mine and Perfect Girl.
In addition to being a singer and songwriter, she is actively working to build a community for RnB lovers in Nigeria called 234RnB.
- Keziah Mallam
Known for running Audio Therapy, a monthly intimate live series, Keziah Mallam is a UK-bred Nigerian singer- songwriter and producer based in Abuja, Lagos, and Kaduna. Describing her sound as “afro ethereal”, she says she draws inspiration from singers like D’Angelo and Brandy. Some of her notable tracks include I Know and Trouble.
- Fimi
Born Sharon-Rose Similoluwa Banjo-Oguleye, Fimi is a Nigerian rapper who was raised in Osogbo. She says she started rapping after watching the Disney-produced Let It Shine movie featuring Coco Jones. She has collaborated with rappers like SGaWD on tracks like Hei God and also has other tracks like BEEF and Halo.
- KOLD AF
KOLD AF is a Delta-born singer and songwriter formerly known as Koel, who left Law School to pursue music professionally in 2020. Her sound is Afro Fusion and a mix of Afrobeat, Dancehall, R&B, and Soul. She’s released three EPs named Kold Szn, Kollide, and KAUTION. Some of her singles, like Manyana and 365, both charted on Nigeria’s Top 100. She has also been a Spotify EQUAL Africa Ambassador and an Apple Music Up Next Artist.
- Ifé
Ifé is an Igbo indigenous artist who focuses on highlife, soul, and RnB. She is known for using music to speak about issues pertaining to Igbo women and Igbo people in general.
Some of her notable tracks include Ulaga, Ozo (featuring Umu Obiligbo), and Okwudili. She has produced albums such as Sunsets and Paragraphs, which spoke on issues like the Biafran war, and EPs like Darklight, which highlighted themes of agency, power, and overcoming loss.
- Jamz FR
Born Olubukola Anita Jamgbadi, Jamz Fr is a fast-rising Afropop singer and songwriter. She is also versatile in other genres such as reggae, R&B, and Afrobeats, and attributes this versatility to how she was raised. In addition to regularly performing with live bands, she has released tracks like Jamzy Vibe and Sticks and Stones.
- Eiko
Eiko is a singer and songwriter. She is known for her live performances and unique blend of soul into Afrobeat. She is also the live act at The Eiko System, a music lineup done in collaboration with Indie Vibe House Party.
