24/12/2025
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗻. 𝗔 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱
December is usually the height of our festive season. It’s the period when shows, concerts and club bookings should be at their peak for our 237 artists. Yet this year, something feels off. Bookings are slow, shows are limited and the few major events happening are mostly sponsored by the big telecom companies.
Why is this happening?
We’ve built an entertainment industry where everyone wants to be a role model. But entertainment is a business on its own. Its primary purpose is to entertain. It’s not meant to educate, evangelize or moralize.
At the same time, we have urban artists putting out lyrics like “When I make money, I di savam. When you make money, you di enter club choppam,” then expecting to be booked in clubs and paid premium fees. You can’t discourage a spending culture and still hope to benefit from it. You can’t eat your cake and have it.
When we look at the entertainment cultures we admire and try to emulate, their music actively encourages spending. Not everyone is meant to be a hero or a national savior. Some people simply want to party, enjoy themselves and spend money. That spending fuels the economy and creates entire industries.
In Nigeria, people have built careers as hypemen. Show promoters are major figures. Artists are massive brands.
In Cameroon, everyone has become a moral police officer, including the artists. Lyrics and video clips are constantly scrutinized, as if every entertainer must preach or offer financial advice.
If we truly want an entertainment industry, then we need to build one together. A real ecosystem that is profitable and sustainable. Let the preachers and moral guardians focus on nation building. Let entertainers entertain.
