Veteran Nigerian rapper, M.I Abaga has asserted that much of the funding pushing Nigerian artistes comes from the proceeds of ‘Yahoo’ which is known as internet fraud.
Speaking on the “So Nigerian Podcast,” M.I. said this is a disturbing fact and an indication that there is a problem with the way Nigeria supports the creative sector.
He claimed that the fact that a major funding for the industry originates outside rather than domestically is an “indictment” on the country.
The rapper pointed out that Nigeria has to do better so that artistes can depend on sustainable and legal revenue streams instead of fraudulent funding.
“There’s a lot of controversy when people come talking about like Yahoo Yahoo because a lot of artistes, that’s the funding that they have, and it’s when people try to talk about it, to me…I don’t want to be misquoted here, I say the wrong thing.
“But what I’m trying to say is that it’s an indictment on our country that we have such talented musicians and that the major funding for the industry comes from the West and comes from this other industry. It’s an indictment. It shows that something is wrong, which leads us back to your question. Hopefully we can do better,” M.I said.
M I Abaga on funding and support for the entertainment industry https://t.co/34vRyu0fKx pic.twitter.com/4rzkkF5ewy
— So Nigerian podcast (@SoNigerian_) August 12, 2025
