[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ne of the less considered factors for the account of economic development is the access to leisure activities by the population of a country. But when analyzing in detail, the fact of having free time to dedicate to entertainment activities is a sign that the population is thriving in their professional activities and can allow allocating time for their hobbies.
Nigeria has come a long way in these terms and today we will list the favourite entertainment activities of Nigerians. Between sports, films, music, and online gaming, there is plenty of choices for all tastes.
Sports
There’s no doubt that football is the most popular sport in Nigeria. With so many professional players making the jump to Europe’s elite football clubs, Nigeria has cemented its place as one of the most important hotbeds of football talents in the world.
This has promoted the growth of local audiences looking to see their favourite players in action in the best football competitions in the world. TV broadcasters like SuperSport offer a vast catalogue of football leagues such as the Premier League or the Serie A where Nigerians can follow players like Kelechi Iheanacho or Victor Osimhen.
It’s not a coincidence that there’s so much success with homegrown players. Football is the most practised sport in the whole country, even without the necessary infrastructure, Nigerians play wherever they can, and this is the reason why the country produces so many talented footballers.
Films
Nigeria is only behind India in terms of the number of films produced and released each year in the country. This achievement has led the Nigerian film industry to receive the nickname Nollywood, making a play on words with Bollywood, the Indian film industry.
From the first days of Nigerian filmmakers in the 1960s, directors like Ola Balogun or Hubert Ogunde paved the way for every professional that followed them. Little would they know that the future generations of Nigerian filmmakers would be responsible for one of the fastest-growing film industries in the world?
The offer of audiovisual entertainment in Nigeria doesn’t limit to films but also covers the ground with many TV series that are also being very successful in foreign markets.
The rise of streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime has proved the perfect ally for Nigerian producers to showcase their work to international audiences. The success has even prompted Netflix to create an exclusive category of African movies and shows on its platform.
Music
African music is on the rise. And Nigeria is one of the leaders of the continent in the music industry.
What’s promoting Nigerian music in the entertainment and show business industries around the world is the internet. As many as 50% of the population in Nigeria has access to the internet and this means access to the actual streaming services of our days. Music is every time less consumed on physical hardware such as CDs and most of the demand relies on internet platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.
Artists like Wizkid and Burna Boy are Nigerian born and raised and their music is already being critically acclaimed by experts around the world.
Nigerian people love to dance, and this is a feeling shared by the afro-fusion and dancehall beats of Nigerian artists. Burna Boy is widely popular in the United Kingdom and this summer he has featured in some of Europe’s most prestigious music festivals such as the Sonar Festival in Barcelona.
Online Gaming
And while the internet is one of the main reasons explaining the rise in demand for music among Nigerians, it also explains another entertainment activity on the rise: Online gaming.
The 50% of Nigerians that have access to the internet represent a population of around 110 million people, which is almost the equivalent of the whole population of Ethiopia (114 million people), the second most populated country in Africa.
One of the most popular game genres is online casino games like slots. Platforms such as VegasSlotsOnline have even brought together a wide variety of available promotions like online casino free spins that clients can benefit from when registering for the first time on an online casino. Said platform help players find the best available websites to play online slots and casino games, with detailed reviews and information about them such as the accepted methods of payment.
Online gaming has become such a popular leisure activity because of its combination of entertainment and the possibility of winning monetary prizes while playing.
