Nigeria, Ghana and the Music Conflict

Recently, Davido, the Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, rewarded a Ghanaian fan, Ananzo, who was seen miming a song from Davido’s latest album 5ive, with $5000. The incident brought to mind the acumen of music superstars, whether from Nigeria or Ghana.

The gift is a show of intelligence because it plays down the feud between ordinary Ghanaians and Nigerians regarding which of the West African nations is musically superior. While this feud lasts, I have watched closely the opinions of the artists regarding the matter. Despite the fussing and fighting at the bottom, you never hear an artist, be they Burner Boy, Davido or Stoneboy, joining the argument –they stay mature. Instead, one hears them talking good of the nations. Burner Boy once said, “When I want quiet time, I prefer to go to Ghana because they have many such places.” But even Davido's gift of $5000 to Ananzo is just another demonstration of wisdom that should be seen from celebrities.  

At the peak of the international feud, some Ghanaian “influencers” did just the contrary, telling Ghanaian music fans that it amounts to stupidity for any Ghanaian fan to support Nigerian music when Nigerians aren’t supporting their own music. Their counterparts on the Nigerian side responded with a barrage of insults.

While the Nigerian response is condemnable, there is also the need to inform their Ghanaian counterparts on how music success works. At the level of nations, music success works like a relay race. Every country has its turn. At some point, it was the South Africans. At another, it was the Congolese. Now, it is the turn of the Nigerians. A Ghanaian turn will surely come.

I always ask Ghanaians whether their music receives rave reviews in every nation except Nigeria. If Ghanaian music is currently making waves around the world, except in Nigeria, then the Nigerians are truly acting in a way that can be considered malicious. If that is not the case, then those Ghanaians need to have a rethink.

The current Ghanaian President, John Mahama, once talked of how he stayed with his step-mum in Ofa, Nigeria, for a few years while fleeing political persecution from his country and how he has come to consider Nigeria his second home. Just imagine what goes through the mind of the President when he hears common people going for each other’s jugular over issues of superiority.  

While receiving former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House, the American President, George Bush, referred to Britain as the only country that is truly America’s friend. After hearing this, I started searching to see which country is truly Nigeria’s friend. There is none other than Ghana.