Nigerian superstar Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid has officially made history as the first African artist to surpass 10 billion streams on Spotify across all credits.

This milestone cements his legacy as the leading figure in the global expansion of Afrobeats, having been the first African artist to reach every billion-stream threshold on the platform (from 1 billion to 10 billion).

The Ojuelegba crooner achieved the feat as his streams across all credits on the platform recently hit the 10 billion-stream mark.

His collaborative hit with Canadian superstar Drake and British singer, Tyla is his most streamed song on the platform with almost 4 billion streams.

His third studio album, ‘Made In Lagos Deluxe’ is his most streamed project on Spotify with over a billion streams.

Wizkid’s most streamed song as lead is ‘Essence’ featuring Tems, which has amassed over 333 million streams.

Meanwhile, American singer Billie Eilish’s ‘Birds Of A Feather’ has surpassed Tones and I’s ‘Dance Monkey’ as the most streamed solo song by a female artist in Spotify history.

‘Birds Of A Feather’ recently hit 3.37 billion to surpass ‘Dance Monkey’, which has 3.3 billion streams.

Controversial Nigerian singer, Portable, has escaped police arrest after beating up his fourth baby mama, actress Ashabi Simple.

The incident reportedly happened on Thursday, January 1, 2026 during Ashabi’s visit to his bar in Ogun state.

In a viral video of the incident online, Ashabi, who was seen holding the singer’s cloth saying she’s tired of being called his baby mama, insisted that Portable must also recognise her as his wife.

She said: “Oya Pami baby, I’m also your wife, you’ve to stop calling me your baby mama.”

Portable immediately pushed her and replied that he only recognises his wife, Bewaji, noting that other women that have kids with him are baby mamas.

“I only have one wife, the rest of you are just baby mamas,” the singer said.

His response escalated the altercation with Ashabi responding emotionally “Then you will have to kill me, baby.”

After the commotion, the actress and her siblings reported Portable to the police for assault and abuse.

Speaking in a video on Instagram, Ashabi revealed that the police met Portable’s pregnant wife, Bewaji at home as Portable escaped arrest.

“I celebrated the new year in a happy mood with my family. You are the one that called me that you’re in a bad mood, and I told you that I went to my dad’s house for the new year. And you asked me to bring new year food for you and I said ok.

“I called you when I got to your bar, and you asked me to meet you outside. When I got there, we had a minor disagreement and you slapped me, beat me up, seized our phones and threatened my siblings and I with axe,” she alleged.

Reacting to the fight, many Nigerians berated her for forcing herself on him, while some said she has low self esteem.

The All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has officially unveiled Nigerian rapper and actor, FalzTheBahdGuy and French-Senegalese actress and media personality, Liliane Maroune as hosts of the 9th edition of the awards.

The 9th AFRIMA, organised by the International Executive Committee of AFRIMA in conjunction and the African Union Commission in partnership with the Lagos State Government (Official Host City), is slated to hold from January 7–11, 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria.

With this appointment, FalzTheBahdGuy becomes the second Nigerian, after music legend 2Baba, to host the prestigious AFRIMA stage, following 2Baba’s historic role as co-host of the inaugural edition in 2014.

Over the years, AFRIMA has featured a distinguished list of hosts drawn from across the continent and the diaspora including 2Baba (Nigeria) and Maryse Acotie (Togo) at the inaugural 2014 edition; DNG (Kenya) and Aurélie Eliam (Cote d’Ivoire) in 2015; Ahmed Soultan (Morocco), Bonang Matheba (South Africa) and Ika De Jong (DRC) in 2016; Akon (Senegal/USA) and Sophy Aiida (Cameroon) in 2017; Michael Blackson (Ghana/USA), Pearl Thusi (South Africa) and Anita Erskine (Ghana) in 2018; Pearl Thusi and Eddie Kadi (DRC/UK) in 2019 and 2021; and Ahmed Sylla (France/Senegal), Sophy Aiida, and Pearl Thusi at the 8th edition held in January 2023.

FalzTheBahdGuy, a multiple award winner, is one of Africa’s most respected figures in music and film. He is known for his intelligent lyrics, confident stage presence, and powerful social commentary. Beyond music, FalzTheBahdGuy has built a strong acting career and received praise for his roles in popular films such as New Money, Brotherhood, 10 Days in Sun City, and Chief Daddy.

Liliane Maroune, a French-Senegalese actress, model, and TV host, brings elegance, global appeal, and a strong African identity to the AFRIMA stage. Maroune, who also has Lebanese and Mauritanian ancestry, is well known for her roles in West African television series, including Myriam in Emprises and Aissatou in Coeurs Brisés. She is also popular for hosting the talk show Wakhtane Ak Lily, where she interviews leading African creatives. Her growing influence across Africa and Europe positions her as a fitting co-host for the awards.

Speaking on the choice of hosts, Nde Ndifonka, AFRIMA Regional Director for Central Africa, said, “FalzTheBahdGuy brings intelligence, strong ideas, and a powerful African voice that connects with both young and old audiences. Liliane embodies elegance, diversity, and the contemporary African woman with international influence. Together, they clearly show the strength and richness of African music and culture. They both understand Africa, speak for Africa, and live the African experience in their own ways.”

The build-up to the 9th AFRIMA has been electric, with music fans across the world still voting for their preferred artistes in 39 categories of the awards on www.afrima.org.

The five-day event of the biggest music awards in Africa will begin with the Welcome Soirée for guests and nominees at the British Deputy High Commission House in Lagos on Wednesday, January 7. The Africa Music Business Summit will take centre stage on Thursday, January 8, at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites. Music lovers across the continent are expected to throng the Ikeja City Mall, Alausa, Lagos, on Friday, January 9, for the AFRIMA Music Village.

There will be a Nominees & Industry Party on Saturday, January 10, before the Main Awards Show on Sunday, January 11, also at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites. The Red Carpet starts at 3:00 PM (WAT), and the awards ceremony will be broadcast live to more than 84 countries, ensuring the excitement reaches audiences around the world.