The female artistes in Nigeria have done impressively well, showing their worth, gathering various ground breaking records locally & internationally, even Billboard recognition as well as being enlisted with lots of international artistes (like Drake, Beyonce and a lot more).

Music quality was taken into consideration, the vibe they serve to Nigerians, social media influence, popularity, achievements/success, awards/recognition, lyrics, net worth, consistency, impact and more importantly, how long they have been in the industry etc.
No further ado, here comes the interesting part.
Without being biased, we came up with this exclusive best female singers list that would pulsate well with a lot of Nigerians.

The top 10 female artiste in Nigeria. Beautiful women, lovely voices, melanin popping, super talents and simply the best in Africa and beyond.

Are you ready???
Beginning from the least popping to the most popping. Here are the Loadedsongs exclusive list!!!

Top 10 Female Singers In Nigeria (2022) & Their Net Worth 

Di’ja

“…Most times how others feel about you, or how you should be, comes from their own insecurities. Be comfortable, be You!”

“There is no one standard of beauty regardless of what the media tells you.”
“Mental wellness is so important to a person’s existence; it is where all begins and all can end”.

Wow! I can probably say her personality from these quotes that she is such a bonafide person. Maybe one of the most realistic Nigerian female pop singer I have heard this year.

Born on August 14 ,1989 in Kaduna. Di’ja begins her music career in Canada and unleashed her first single, “Rock steady” which was nominated for Best Urban/R&B Single at the 2009 Canadian Radio Music Awards. Nevertheless, she won the Best New Artiste award at the 2008 Beat Music Awards which was quite a massive boost to her career then at Canada. Still in Canada, Di’Ja dropped several singles including “Hold On (Ba Damuwa)”, “Dan’Iska (Rudebwoy)”  and “How Can We Be Friends” in 2012. Moving quick to 2014, after moving to Nigeria where she met Mavins Records boss, Donjazzy who auditioned her through a period of 8 months before signing her to her present record label, Mavin Records.

In her songs, she mix different cultures in honour of being a Serria Leonian and a Nigerian. Not to forget she stayed in the USA, Canada, Nigeria and Serria Leon.

Short Bio:
• Name: Hadiza Blell
• Record Label: Mavin Records
• Genre: Pop, R&B, Afrobeats
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Nil
• Amassed online following: About 1.6 million
• Net worth: $500k (Estimations)

9. Asa

Legendary singer both in Nigeria and Africa. Asa songs still continues to entertain us even in 2021. Writing with all sincerity, her distinct singing style touches the soul. Aṣa was born in Paris to Nigerian parents who were working and studying cinematography in France. Asa drew inspiration from great music her father had stored up from the likes of Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, King Sunny Adé, Diana Ross, Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba.

She spent about 18 years in Lagos before returning to France (Paris) where her career started. She studied at the IMFP school of Jazz music. She was so outstanding as a female singer.

Another female pop artiste in Nigeria on this list, jazz, indie pop and even a female rapper. Bukola Elemide dropped her debut Album “Aśa” in 2007 and received the Prix Constantin Award a year later, following her nomination by French music awards for the female artist of the year in 2011.

It was reported that by 2014, Aṣa sold 400,000 albums worldwide. Those numbers don’t scare me, Asa is a true gem. It seems she always takes her time to work on these songs. Considering her average release time for each album is about 3-4years. The latest we heard in 2019 from her is her album titled “Lucid”.

Short Bio:
• Name: Bukola Elemide
• Record Label: Native
• Genre: Jazz, Rap, Indie Pop and Pop
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Nil
• Amassed online following: About 1.5million
• Net worth: $28.8m (Estimations)

 

8. Waje

Aituaje Aina Vivian Iruobe, popularly known by stage name as Waje is, worthy of mention as one of the top female artiste in nigeria.

She made public her intentions to quit music in 2019 due to insufficient support and low return on investment. Waje sings Pop, R&B, Soul, Blues, Rock. Slow paced songs, impressive vocals and tunes that touches the heart. When I listen to Waje’s songs and I compare her with some other artistes. I feel like how come she isn’t tranding and popular like others? Well, not all trend with her kind of music. Music is flexible, I can’t listen to a fast paced song when I just want to relax or I am somber. In my opinion, she is one of the best female songbird in Nigeria.

She started singing gospel from her youth for her church choir and late Arc Bishop Benson Idahosa who helped her with her secondary education because he liked her talent.

She released her self-titled debut studio album in 2013. Waje is a musical entrepreneur and also engaged in side hustles like act in tunnel in 2015. Her and Omawunmi also uveiled a media company called Hermanes Media in 2019. Waje was nominated for awards over 20 times within her career, including Black Canadian Awards 2014, Best Vocal performance and World music awards etc. A single mother who was also one of the four judges in the inaugural season of The Voice Nigeria.

Short Bio:
• Name: Aituaje Iruobe
• Record Label: Waje Media Entertainment
• Genre: Soul, Pop etc
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Nil
• Amassed online following: About 2.2 million
• Net worth: Unknown (Income yearly ranges from $100k-1m)

7. Seyi Shay

Seyi Shay, The Afropop singer was born to Nigerian parents who named her Oluwaseyi Odedere after her birth in Tottenham, London, England, on December 21, 1985. Seyi’s father is an indigene of Ife (a town in Nigeria) while her mother hails from one of the Northern states in Nigeria. “Gimme Love Remix” with Teyana Taylor is a song inspired by love and vulnerability.

It’s a take on a woman’s emotions and sexuality. In 2014, with the release of the tracks ‘Murda’ and ‘Right Now’. Seyi found her sound in a new and modern Africa, she said “when I released ‘Murda’ it was like an overnight turnaround.

“Then I realized people maybe were waiting for me to find my identity. So I found my identity in that song and it was elements of ‘80’s Reggae in London and Afrobeats in Africa that’s pretty much the formula that broke me out to popularity”.

Seyi shay is one of the female singers with good vocals and maybe a separate post would be made highlighting female artist with good vocals.

Short Bio:
• Name: Deborah Oluwaseyi
• Record Label: Star gurl, Island records.
• Genre: Soul, Pop, Reggae, Afro pop etc
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Nil
• Amassed online following: About 1.8 million
• Net worth: $2.1million (Estimations)

6. Niniola

Niniola Apata one of the most gorgeous female musician on this list well known as “Niniola“, AKA “Queen of Afro house” enlisted in Beyonce’s album, the gift. 2019 would have been such an elated year for the Queen of Afro house as she wrote & performed a track named “Find Your Way Back” off Beyonce’s Gift album which consists of elements of her hit track, Maradona.

In her words,
“It’s the grace of God but as they say, when hard work and preparation meets opportunity, it just happens. After Project Fame, I just wanted to prove myself. I knew I could sing but I just wanted more. I loved to dance and wanted to incorporate these two things”.

Niniola also spent several months emanating what she tagged her own genre “Afro House” music.

She proceed online in search of the top 10 producers in Nigeria, as at the year 2013. As a result of which she found Sarz aka sarz on the beat, the talented hit-maker who has worked with music stars like Wizkid, Wande Coal, Banky W, Skales, etc. With production credit from Sarz, she released her first debut single, Ibadi.

“I didn’t know anybody in the industry. So, I went online in search for the best producer in Nigeria. This was in 2013. Sarz’s name kept coming up. I reached out to him and he requested that I give him a hit song. I dropped “Ibadi” and that’s how it happened”.

“Ibadi” has elements of afro-beats, house and dance music. It’s a mixture of her powerful Vocals which she dropped in both English and Yoruba. After releasing her debut single “Ibadi”, she was enlisted for Most Promising Act to Watch at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. Massively collecting four awards and about 41 nominations; Best African Collaboration for “Mbilo Mbilo” 2016 (Remix), Nigerian Teens Choice Awards, Maya Awards (2017), Glazia Awards (2017) and Ghana-Naija Showbiz Awards (2018).

“One song changed my life. I just did the song Maradona and knew that, like every other one, it was good. But when we dropped it, it went boom. People and artistes from South Africa started reaching out to me.”

The hit muaic about “Maradona” got remake from French Disc jockey & record producer, DJ Snake.

Like the demise of her father which also inspired another of her hot song, Addicted. I commend her warrior spirit. Pain does really make people stronger.

“I’m glad I can be comfortable as an African and sing in my language,” Niniola says. She finishes with a prediction, almost a warning: “When I drop songs, I drop hit songs.”

Is this statement true?? Has she really been a mirror reflection of her words in her actions? Do Nigerians really vibe and enjoy her songs to that point of calling the song a hit? Doesn’t it feel that there is a particular ingredient missing in her songs seeing she had 12% success rate in awards/nominations.

I would leave that to our readers to vote on. Her position might not be agreeable to some people. Even if considerations were to be given she wouldn’t have made it past the 8th position on this list. Nonetheless, she’s still good.

Short Bio:
• Name: Niniola Apata
• Record Label: DrumRoll
• Genre: Afro House
• Grammy: Nil (Certificate)
• Billboard: Nil
• Amassed online following: About 2million
• Net worth: $1.7m (Estimations)

5. Tems

Temilade Openiyi well known as Tems, is an uprising female singer that sang with Khalid and Davido in 2020 (You don’t know your worth Remix) and even caught the attention of Chris Brown. Just like Asa, Tems has a abroad father, also got eulogized by her music tutor and also moved to Lagos. Similar to Asa’s, I think we can unleash talented singers just by reading their stories.

She was born on June 11, 1995 in Lagos, Nigeria. Born to a Nigerian mother and British father, Tems family relocated to the United Kingdom shortly after her birth. Her parents divorced when she was 5 years, and relocated to Ilupeju, before moving to Lekki, then Ajah. At school she was noticed by her music teacher who assisted her professionally and she learnt the piano.

She attended Dowen College in Lekki and studied and graduated in economics in Johannesburg which she said at one point in her story was tedious. In fact, she said everything was, but she had to pick something.

Just like Niniola, she also liked artistes like Rhianna and Beyonce. Tems hopes to team up with local artistes like wizkid, Burna boy and Niniola. The Rebel Gang leader (Tems) also got inspiration from Asa, Frank Ocean, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Beyoncé and Rihanna, for their  emotional content.

The most suprising about her story is that Tems is a good writer, singer and music producer, An amazing female artiste that just pours out her emotions into words and has passion for music. Well, fact is she has won the hearts of Nigerians and though she doesn’t have a much online following yet. Tems still has far more followers than some top artiste on music streaming platforms like audiomack which means her music is still loved and enjoyed locally.

The song, “Mr Rebel” is her first debut single and was recorded in 2018 and that’s where she became the headliner of the Rebel Gang (Her fans). A year after she unleashed “Try me” one of her major song which presntly has over 4.3million views. This gorgeous Nigerian female singer also received 2 nominations and made it to vogue list of (9 emerging black talents you must know for 2021). She got her first appearance on Billboard Hot 100 with Wizkid‘s song of the summer, “Essence” which she was featured in. Lately, Canadian rapper, Drake enlisted Tems on his song, “fountain“, off his Certified lover Boy album.

Short Bio:
• Name: Temilade Openiyi
• Record Label: alt R&B singer, Reggae/pop singer
• Genre: None (Independent artiste)
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Yes (Once)
• Amassed online following: About 900k
• Net worth: $200,000 (Estimations)

4. Teni

Teniola Apata well known by her stage name as Teni is a fast growing Nigerian singer-songwriter, stage performer, and an entertainer signed under Dr. Dolor Entertainment.
She was born on 12th December 1992 in Lagos State in the south western part of Nigeria. She is very talented, skillful, and creative, she’s entitled “The one take god” because of her flexibility with freestyles and more because she only records once, no mistakes, just one take and it is perfect. She is originally from Ilesa, a small town in Osun State in the south western part of Nigeria.

She’s one of Nigeria’s fastest growing artiste breaking new grounds in the Nigerian music industry. Teni begins her music career in 2016 when she got signed to Magic Fingers Records owned by one of Nigeria’s most talented music producers, Shizzi.

She’s the younger sister of popular Nigerian singer Niniola. Teni came into limelight in 2017 after dropping her hit song “Fargin” which topped many music charts in Nigeria.
She has also released hit songs like uyo meyo, case, billionaire, etc
Overall she has about 8 awards and 13 nominations including the Headies. Teni has also the street and local kind of vibe in her music. She has seemingly does side hustles like comedy and promotions. Considering the short amount of time, she has spent, she is pretty notable.

Short Bio:
• Name: Teniola Apata
• Record Label: Dr Dolor Entertainment
• Genre: Afro
• Grammy:
• Billboard: Yes (Once)
• Amassed online following: About 5 million
• Net worth: $600,000 (Estimations)

3. Simi

Amazing tune is always a joy to hear and calms the soul at the same time. That’s what simi’s music does. Her hit song Duduke had over 30million views on YouTube. Simi  obviously has won awards. She’s married to Adekunle Gold, a well-known artiste with songs like “pick up”, “Sweet Me”, “AG baby” etc.

Simi is a gorgeous Afro-Pop singer-songwriter known for her hit songs “Soldier” and “Jamb Question,” both featuring Nigerian singer, actor and rapper, Falz.

She’s gifted with  subtle voice which usually lingers in the head of listeners long after the sound has ended.
She wrote her first song at the age of 10 and began singing at the age of 16. As a result of her interest for music, she joined her church’s teenage choir. Probably due to her church background, she began her career in the music industry as a gospel singer, with the release of her debut studio album in 2008 titled Ogaju.

Some years later, Simi switched over to singing secular songs and got her major breakthrough in the mainstream music industry in 2014 after she released Tiff under a record label, X3M Music which she was signed to in the same year. The song was nominated in two categories at The Headies 2015.

Since she joined X3M Music, Simi has released hits including – Tiff, Jamb Question, Love Don’t Care, Smile For Me and also featured in a number of hit records such as ‘Soldier’, with Falz, ‘Orire’, with Legendury Beatz ‘No Forget’, with Adekunle Gold,  and a few others.

Short Bio:
• Name: Simisola Kosoko
• Record Label: Studio Brat
• Genre: Soul, Afro Pop, Hip Pop, Rap, World etc
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Yes (Once)
• Amassed online following: About 14 million
• Net worth: $2million (Estimations)

2. Tiwa savage

Tiwa savage has been widely successful but has a lot to improve on especially the quality of her songs and vibe rather than quantity. The music industry in Nigeria is  getting more competitive as the day goes by.

Her debut studio album Once Upon a Time was released on the 3rd of July 2013. It consists of 7 singles: “Kele Kele Love”, “Love Me (3x)”, “Without My Heart”, “Ife Wa Gbona”, “Folarin”, “Olorun Mi” and “Eminado”. The album was nominated for Best Album of the Year at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards and for Best R&B/Pop Album at The Headies 2014.

Her 2nd studio album R.E.D was released on 19 December 2015. It emanated two singles: “My Darlin” and “Standing Ovation”. In June 2016, Savage signed a management and publishing deal with Roc Nation In September 2017, she released her debut EP Sugarcane. R.E.D and Sugarcane have both been nominated for Best Album at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

In November 2018, Savage won Best African Act at the 2018 MTV Europe Music Awards, becoming the first woman to win the category. In May 2019, she announced her record deal with Universal Music Group and exit from Mavin Records Savage sings in English and Yoruba; her music is a blend of Afro beats, R&B, pop and hip-hop.

Short Bio:
• Name: Tiwatope Savage
• Record Label: Mavin, Universal Music Group, Motown, Island and Capitol Records
• Genre: Soul, Afro Pop ,Hip Pop, Rap, World etc
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Yes (Twice)
• Amassed online following: About 20 million
• Net worth: $5million (Estimations)

1. Yemi Alade

Yemi Alade, the first Nigerian female singer to hit 1.62M subscribers and 128 million views on YouTube for her song, Johnny. The talented gorgeous lady has won several awards. She came to limelight with her song “Johnny”. She’s also one of the richest Nigerian female artistes. Consistency and hard work got her to where she is today, because she has faced a lot of barricades starting out since the days of the Peak talent show which she won. Finally, her hard work paid off.

She emerged in 2009 as the winner of the popular Peak Talent Show.

She’s a native of Abia in south eastern Nigeria, even though her Dad James Alade is of South western origin, she tends to identify with her mum’s side mostly. Alade pursued her musical ambitions while earning a degree at the University of Lagos and following her victory on the widely viewed Peak competition, released her debut single “Fimisile” later that year. A deal with the Effyzzie Music Group produced the 2013 international hit single “Johnny,” which was included on her debut album, King of Queens, in 2014.

A mix of reggae, R&B, rap, and Afro-pop, the album featured a number of featuring between notable producers and top guest artistes like Phyno and Chidinma. Her follow-up album, Mama Africa, was released in 2016 and featured the singles “Do as I Do” and “Ferrari.” A companion EP, Mama Afrique, followed in 2017.

Short Bio:

• Name: Yemi Alade
• Record Label: Effyzzie Music Group
• Genre: World, Afro Pop and R&B
• Grammy: Nil
• Billboard: Yes (Twice)
• Amassed online following: About 18 million
• Net worth: $4.2million (Estimations)