Slimcase says rising Nigerian artists face high costs promoting music

Nigerian street-pop artist Oluwafemi Oladapo Oko-Eko, popularly known as Slimcase, has spoken about the challenges faced by emerging artists trying to promote their music in Nigeria.

Speaking during a recent interview with Echo Room, Slimcase claimed that properly promoting a single in Nigeria can cost as much as ₦265 million.

The singer attributed the rising cost of music promotion partly to the growth of influencer and content-creator culture. According to him, dancers and content creators who previously approached artists for collaborations now charge significant fees to feature songs in their content.

“Back in the days, dancers flooded artists’ DMs. Now you have to pay them big, even content creators. $200,000 is not enough to blow a song now. And that is why you hear the same artist and sound for over 20 years, while many upcoming artists remain unheard,” he said.

Slimcase’s comments highlight the increasing financial demands associated with music promotion and the difficulties emerging Nigerian artists may face in gaining visibility in a competitive industry.