At the #GoogleForNigeria event yesterday, YouTube announced that it was teaming up with local music superstar, Mr. Eazi to support emerging talent in Nigeria.
The announcement was officially made by YouTube’s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen in a fireside chat on stage with Mr. Eazi at the event.
This is part of YouTube’s longer term-commitment to work with a number of key partners in Nigeria to support emerging talent in the country.
In the initial phase, YouTube will partner with the artist and the emPawa Africa initiative to support 10 emerging Nigerian music artists to build their craft, increase their fanbase and connect with the world through YouTube.
According to Cohen, “The contributions will go toward enabling the artists to shoot videos, record music and get mentoring.
“It is critical to develop the next generation of talents and there is so much talents exploding out of Nigeria and the African continent right now; as Africa is setting the tempo all around the globe. We are incredibly proud that YouTube has been a mainline for African artists to connect all over the world.”
“By supporting one of the leading African trail-blazers like Mr Eazi and his emPawa initiative, we are excited to see how these artists supercharge their careers and grow their fan base on YouTube.”
Launched by Mr. Eazi, emPawa Africa empowers the next generation of African artists, equipping them with the tools, knowledge, network and investment they need to become independent music entrepreneurs.
“emPawa is an initiative I created with one simple mission; helping new artists reach their full potential musically by equipping them with the knowledge and funding to do so.
“It is something I wish someone had created when I first started making music. Sometimes, all it takes is one person to believe in you.
“Among the success stories is Nigerian singer Joeboy, whose emPawa-backed single release “Baby” has over 5.9 million views on YouTube,’’ Eazi said.
He noted that the partnership with YouTube was very exciting as it would take emPawa and its artists to a whole new level.
So far, emPawa has supported 22 Nigerian artists and 100 artists in total across 11 African countries. It helps to provide training to build their skills through digital platforms such as YouTube.
