Nigerian megastar Wizkid has become the first African artist to exceed 10 billion streams on Spotify across all credits. This milestone, confirmed by industry trackers, cements his status as a trailblazer who has propelled African music onto the international stage.

Born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, his journey from rising star to the face of Afrobeats and subsequently global stardom is a testament to his innovative sound, strategic collaborations, constant evolution, and massive fanbase.

This record-breaking feat arrives amid a surge in Afrobeats’ popularity, with Wizkid at the forefront. As of early January 2026, Wizkid boasts more than 13 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His catalogue continues to resonate with fans worldwide, blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary R&B, dancehall, and pop elements.

His streams have been bolstered by a mix of solo hits, features, and albums that have amassed billions of plays.

Wizkid’s ascent to this Spotify pinnacle began in the early 2010s with his debut album Superstar (2011), which introduced infectious tracks like “Holla at Your Boy” and “Don’t Dull,” establishing him as the next big thing.

However, it was his 2014 single “Ojuelegba” that truly marked a turning point, not just for his career but for the entire Afrobeats movement. “Ojuelegba” captured the raw hustle of urban life in Nigeria, blending heartfelt lyrics with infectious rhythms. It became an anthem for dreamers, hustlers, and underdogs across Africa. With over 100 million streams on Spotify, “Ojuelegba” was the first Afrobeats track to attract major mainstream artists for a remix, featuring Drake and Skepta in 2015, which unlocked unprecedented international awareness and critical acclaim for the genre.

This remix propelled Afrobeats into global conversations and is rightfully considered one of the greatest Afrobeats songs of all time.

The controversy surrounding the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi Esege, has escalated following a detailed rebuttal to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital’s recent statement.

In a press release issued in response to Euracare’s statement dated Saturday, 10 January 2026, the child’s aunt, Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, accused the hospital of presenting inconsistencies and false claims regarding the circumstances of her nephew’s death at its facility.

Dr Nwandu, a dual board-certified Internal Medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience in Nigeria and the United States, challenged Euracare’s assertion that the family’s account contained inaccuracies.

“In their press statement, Euracare claims that there are inaccuracies in the account of how my nephew passed. Which inaccuracies exactly?” she asked.

In her response, Dr Nwandu addressed several claims made by the hospital, contrasting them with what she described as “the documented truth of the situation.”

She disputed Euracare’s claim that the child had received care at two paediatric centres before arriving at the hospital. According to her, “This is false. He was in one hospital before coming to Euracare for the procedures.”

Euracare had also stated that it provided care “in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards,” a claim Dr Nwandu firmly rejected. She outlined what she said were multiple deviations from internationally accepted standards of care.

“International standards demand that a child on oxygen who is given sedation must have continuous oxygen therapy. Did Euracare do this? No! They confirmed this verbally to me when I went to the hospital to question the doctors,” she said. “International standards demand that the child should have had continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in his blood. Did Euracare do this? No.”

According to Dr Nwandu, additional lapses included the lack of continuous monitoring of the child’s pulse and respiration, as well as the failure to ensure the presence of resuscitative equipment during internal transfers within the hospital.

International standards demand continuous monitoring of pulse and respiration. Did Euracare do this? No,” she stated.

She also questioned the reliability of medical documentation under the circumstances described. “Since there was no monitoring, is it possible to accurately document when the child stopped breathing or for how long he was pulseless before he was resuscitated? No.”

Dr Nwandu further criticised the manner in which the child was handled following sedation. “Is it international standard for an anesthesiologist to carry a child post-sedation on his shoulder, unable to visually see the child, with absolutely no monitoring, while insisting that he alone would be in the elevator with the child? No,” she said.

She also alleged that the child’s oxygen supply was disconnected during his transfer to the intensive care unit. “To transfer the child to the ICU, the anesthesiologist disconnected his oxygen and again carried him on his shoulder. Is that standard practice? No.”

In the press release, Dr Nwandu maintained that her nephew was medically stable at the time of the incident and had already been scheduled for an evacuation flight to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and holds a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Euracare has stated that it is reviewing the matter amid ongoing public scrutiny of the hospital’s handling of the case.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has officially defected from the LP to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Mr Obi announced the decision on Wednesday during a political rally at the Nike Lake Resort Hotel in Enugu.

“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a journey of rescue of our country,” Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said.

“We are saying that those who are planning to rig elections in Nigeria come 2027, we will resist it by every means lawful and legitimate.”

The former governor joined the ADC alongside his LP supporters and politicians from other political parties.

Mr Obi argued that he was only formalising his membership of the ADC rather than defecting to the party, because he had been part of the conversations to form the opposition coalition group that adopted ADC as its platform for the 2027 general election.

“So, we have all come together to ensure that we become full members of this coalition of ADC led by Senator David Mark,” he said.

He urged members of other political parties interested in saving Nigeria from poor leadership to join the ADC and become a part of the “family” that will “rescue” the country.

“We are not going to be a family of crime. We are not going to be a family to deprive other people. We are going to be a family of change.

“A family that will create a new Nigeria. That is what the family is all about,” Mr Obi stated.

The former governor accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of “poor leadership”, citing the recently proposed tax regime.

Aside from Mr Obi, several politicians from the South-east also switched to the ADC during the event.

The Abia South Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, was among the politicians from the region who joined the ADC at the event.

“Let me announce that from this moment, I resign from the All Progressives Grand Alliance,” Mr Abaribe declared at the event.

“So, as of now, I am fully in ADC following my brother and our leader ,Mr Peter Obi,” he added.

Others who switched to the ADC during the event included the Anambra Central Senator, Victor Umeh (from LP), his Anambra North counterpart, Tony Nwoye (LP), and a former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu, from the PDP

Another former PDP chieftain, Ben Obi, also defected to the ADC at the event.

A former Enugu East Senator, Gilbert Nnaji, who defected from the PDP to the ADC recently, also attended the event.

Speaking at the event, the National Chairperson of the ADC, David Mark, said the defections of the top politicians to the party would “impact heavily” on the national polity.

Mr Mark, a former president of the Nigerian Senate, congratulated Mr Obi and other defectors for their decision, assuring that the party gives everyone and geopolitical zone a “genuine sense of belonging and equal opportunity.”

“Today’s event is not just a mere defection (to the ADC). It marks the foundation of a strong and winning coalition nationwide.