When Afrobeats star, Omah Stanley Didia, professionally known as Omah Lay, declared that the genre “is based in Lagos and dominated by Yoruba,” he unwittingly ignited a passionate national debate, forcing Nigerians to confront complex questions of origin, influence, and who truly owns the sound that’s taken the world by storm.

The comment made during a listening party for his upcoming third studio album, Clarity of Mind in London, United Kingdom, quickly spread across social media, sparking debates among fans, artistes and industry observers about the origins and ownership of the genre.

Taking to his Instagram handle on February 6, the award-winning singer announced that the album will drop on April 3. According to him, the 12-track project, led by previously released singles Holy Ghost, Waist, and Don’t Love Me, which has been in the works for nearly two years will be released under his label Keyqaad.

To build anticipation, Omah Lay hosted a listening party in London where his assertion, rather than earned quiet moment, drew more attention than he might have bargained for. The evening produced two talking points.

The first was personal as he revealed that his Grammy nomination was overshadowed by the end of a two-month relationship in which he had expected a child. For fans who have been joking for a while that heartbreak fuels the Port Harcourt born star’s best tracks, the remark landed with light acknowledgement.

The second was considerably louder and has since sparked conversation online. During the session, Omah Lay took a strong stance on where Afrobeats comes from, which really struck a chord in a place where music, identity, and ethnicity are deeply intertwined. It also sparked a broader question within Nigeria’s music ecosystem: Is Afrobeats truly dominated by Lagos and Yoruba culture?

Reflecting on his early struggles entering the Nigerian music industry, the singer, songwriter, and producer known for his unique Afro-fusion sound suggested that because the industry’s infrastructure — record labels, media platforms, promoters and nightlife culture — is centred in Lagos, artistes from other regions such as Port Harcourt face additional hurdles and must work harder to break into the mainstream.

“Afrobeats is mainly Lagos. It’s mainly Yorubas. Fela Kuti is the pioneer, we all know that and he’s Yoruba. I’m from PH and you have to break into Lagos. There are only two people from PH that you know — Burna Boy and me,” he said.

The online response has sharply divided opinions. On one side, there are those who believe that Lagos and Yoruba culture are foundational to the identity of Afrobeats, while on the other, critics argue that such a statement overlooks too much history to simply pass without challenge.

Some fans agreed with his point about Lagos dominance. They argued that the city is undeniably the commercial nerve centre of Nigerian music, where most artistes relocate to build careers.

Many fans from the Niger Delta are rallying behind him, citing “Lagos gatekeeping” as a real barrier that forces artistes to abandon their regional identities to “sound more Lagos” to get airplay.

Others, however, criticised the comment as reductive. They argued that Afrobeats’ strength lies in its diversity and warned against framing the genre through ethnic lenses. They pointed out that major global stars of Afrobeats come from across Nigeria’s regions, showing that the sound cannot be reduced to one cultural identity.

Some argued that Nigerian pop music, also known as Afrobeats, is not just a direct continuation of Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, which he pioneered by blending Jazz, Funk, with African percussions, traditional songwriting, and the use of local languages along with Pidgin English to create lively music that not only entertained but also captured the spirit of the times. Whatever be the outcome of the debate, fans eagerly await the album, which is set for release on April 3.