NAHLA Initiative Champions Nigerian Female Music Producers

Iyke BedeIn a bid to increase female representation in Nigeria’s music industry—particularly for young creative women exploring careers in music production—the NAHLA Initiative convened industry stakeholders for a roundtable discussion. The event featured producers Loc the Plug and Saszy.

The session focused on exploring opportunities for women beyond performance, highlighting career paths in production and songwriting. It also raised awareness about the technical side of music-making while providing platforms for training and upskilling to drive economic growth.

During a session with NAHLA Initiative’s convener and founder, Ibukun Abidoye—professionally known as Aibee Ibidoye—Loc the Plug, an alumna of the initiative, shared her early struggles and how she first discovered music production using simple mobile apps. With little support, her journey officially took off during the COVID-19 lockdown. Through the initiative, she later gained more visibility and benefited from its training programmes, including a rare international music residency.

In her assessment, she called on the music industry to address existing biases to encourage aspiring female producers.

“We need more aspiring female producers to have access to established female producers. They have more experience and knowledge to pass down. A lot of females want to go into production, but they don’t know where to start. It’s easier for their male counterparts.”

In another session anchored by on-air personality Folu Storms, Saszy Afroshii, known for her work with Wizkid, Tiwa Savage, and more recently Fave and Qing Madi, discussed her career trajectory and future prospects. She projected a positive outlook for women in the industry, stating that visibility for female professionals will continue to grow over time.

Abidoye further revealed that an album featuring only female producers is set to launch on streaming platforms soon.