Dapper remains Nigeria’s biggest homegrown music company despite 43% market-share drop

Dapper Music and Entertainment has retained its position as Nigeria’s biggest homegrown music company despite a sharp decline in its market share in the first half of 2026.

Data from TurnTable Charts showed that Dapper’s share of the Nigerian music market fell to 3.82 per cent from 6.76 per cent recorded in the same period of 2025, representing a 43.4 per cent year-on-year decline.

The drop, however, was not enough to knock the company off the top spot among Nigerian-owned music companies. Dapper ranked fifth overall, ahead of its local competitors.

YBNL Nation came second among homegrown labels with 2.40 per cent, followed by GIRAN Republic with 1.99 per cent. Starboy Entertainment and Dangbana Republik recorded 1.50 per cent and 1.42 per cent respectively.

The latest figures represent a significant change from Dapper’s performance in 2024, when it accounted for 7.97 per cent of the Nigerian music market during the first three quarters of the year.

Much of that period was powered by the success of artists such as Seyi Vibez and Shallipopi, whose music helped the company cross the one-billion-stream mark.

Both artistes have since left the company, following high-profile disagreements surrounding their relationships with the label.

GIRAN Republic has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the changing landscape. Its market share jumped from 0.34 per cent in the first half of 2025 to 1.99 per cent in the corresponding period of 2026.

The figures point to a Nigerian music industry where the balance of power is becoming less concentrated. Dapper still leads the homegrown field, but the 43.4 per cent drop shows that its advantage is narrowing.

With rivals gaining ground, maintaining the top position will depend heavily on Dapper’s ability to develop new stars, produce commercially successful releases and recover the streaming numbers that previously set it apart.