Bigi Carbonated Soft Drink and Fearless Energy Drink are set to take a three-day music and talent activation to the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) in Lagos from September 15 to 17, 2026.

The campus engagement, organised as part of the brands’ ongoing partnership with Soundcity OnTour, will combine music performances, talent competitions and student participation.

The two brands are products of Rite Foods Limited.

Music competition offers ₦1m prize

The programme will begin with campus activations designed to build interest among students before the focus shifts to emerging musicians on the second day.

The Bigi Music Competition will give aspiring artistes at YABATECH an opportunity to perform before a wider audience, with one campus winner expected to receive a ₦1 million prize.

The winning talent will also progress to a national stage, where the organisers said there would be further opportunities for exposure and development.

The initiative comes as entertainment brands increasingly use university campuses as platforms for discovering young creative talent and connecting directly with student audiences.

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Fearless adds dance challenge

The programme will also feature the Fearless Dance Challenge, giving dancers at the institution an opportunity to compete and showcase their skills.

Organisers said the three-day event is intended to move beyond a conventional concert by giving students opportunities for participation, talent discovery and self-expression.

Rite Foods: Youth creativity is a priority

Ekuma Eze, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Rite Foods Limited, said the brands were deliberate about creating platforms that reflect the aspirations and creativity of young Nigerians.

The company said the YABATECH activation is part of its wider campus entertainment engagement through Soundcity OnTour.

What to expect at YABATECH

Students can expect a mix of campus activations, musical performances, the Bigi Music Competition and the Fearless Dance Challenge during the three-day programme.

The organisers have positioned the event as both an entertainment experience and a platform for emerging performers seeking opportunities to reach audiences beyond their immediate campus communities.

However, details on the full line-up of performing artistes, judging criteria and the structure of the national stage were not provided in the statement.

Five Nigerian campuses are still expected to host the BIGI and Fearless Energy Drink music tour, with organisers saying the initiative has so far combined live performances with opportunities for emerging student artistes.

The campus tour, organised by Rite Foods, makers of BIGI soft drinks and Fearless Energy Drink, in partnership with Soundcity OnTour, has visited 15 campuses across Nigeria.

The organisers say five more campuses will be visited before the tour ends in Abuja in October.

The initiative has attracted attention largely because of its music competitions, which give emerging artistes an opportunity to perform before live audiences and compete for cash prizes.

At the University of Lagos, the organisers said more than 5,000 students attended despite heavy rainfall. Performers included Qing Madi, Falz, Joeboy, Wande Coal and Mr P of P-Square.

More than 25 emerging artistes also performed at the Lagos event, according to the organisers.

The scale of the turnout has been cited by Rite Foods as evidence of the popularity of campus entertainment events, although the company did not provide independent attendance records or explain how the figure was calculated.

From concerts to talent development

Beyond the headline performances, the organisers are positioning the BIGI Music competition as the talent-development element of the tour.

At participating campuses, student and emerging artistes can compete for cash prizes and an opportunity to progress towards a national stage.

At Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Olaniyi Oluwakemi Abisola, known as Abisola, won the campus competition.

Moses Yakubu Ibrahim, known as Bhig Moe, finished first runner-up, while Ibrahim Yakubu Binkalim, known as Ibrahim Binkaly, came second runner-up.

The three finalists shared a ₦1m prize, according to Rite Foods.

The company says standout performers can also progress to a national stage where winners are expected to receive studio production, A&R mentorship led by Bankulli, Soundcity Radio exposure and professionally produced music videos.

Biola Arionsola, Brand Manager at BIGI, said the response at the University of Lagos had exceeded expectations.

“The event truly set the bar. The turnout and energy of the students were outstanding, even with the weather conditions.”

Why campus audiences matter

Nigeria’s universities and tertiary institutions have become important spaces for young musicians to build audiences, test new material and establish relationships with fans.

Campus events can also provide an alternative entry point for artistes who may not yet have access to established music venues or major commercial platforms.

For students, such initiatives can offer entertainment and exposure to new performers. For emerging musicians, they can provide performance experience, networking and, where prizes or development opportunities are genuine, a route towards professional work.

However, sponsorship-led competitions also raise questions about transparency.

Organisers of talent competitions need clear rules covering eligibility, judging, prizes and progression to subsequent stages. Publishing those details can help participants understand what they are competing for and allow audiences to assess the fairness of the process.

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A growing commercial role for brands

The BIGI and Fearless tour is part of a wider pattern in Nigeria in which consumer brands increasingly use music, entertainment and youth-focused events to reach large audiences.

The approach gives companies a direct connection with potential consumers while allowing artistes and event organisers to access funding, audiences and promotional platforms.

The challenge is ensuring that commercial objectives do not overshadow the interests of the young people and performers participating in such programmes.

The current tour features established acts including Teni, Falz, Iyanya, Qing Madi, DJ Spinall, Nasboi, Kunmie, Shoday, Guchhi, Priesst, Shine and TTW, according to Rite Foods.

What happens next?

Five campuses are still scheduled to host the tour before the final event in Abuja in October.

The organisers say interest has grown among students and institutions that have not yet hosted a stop, but no independent figures have been provided to establish the scale of that demand.

The next phase will therefore test whether the tour can maintain its audience while delivering on its talent-development promises.

For the emerging artistes involved, the more important measure may ultimately be what happens after the stages are dismantled: whether the competition leads to sustained mentorship, recording opportunities, radio exposure and professional careers.

Until then, the remaining five campus stops will provide the next test of whether the initiative is more than a series of sponsored concerts — and whether its opportunities for young Nigerian musicians translate into lasting results.

Olaniyi Oluwakemi Abisola, known as Abisola, has won the BIGI Music competition at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, becoming the latest student artiste to emerge from the talent-search programme attached to Soundcity OnTour.

Abisola took the top prize after the competition held during the tour’s three-day activation at ABU from 18 to 20 August.

Moses Yakubu Ibrahim, known as Bhig Moe, finished first runner-up, while Ibrahim Yakubu Binkalim, known as Ibrahim Binkaly, came second runner-up.

The three finalists shared ₦1m in prize money. Abisola received ₦500,000, Bhig Moe ₦350,000 and Ibrahim Binkaly ₦150,000.

The Zaria event was the 15th stop on the 20-campus Soundcity OnTour, which is running across Nigerian tertiary institutions from June to October 2026. Earlier stops included the University of Lagos, University of Uyo, University of Calabar, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Port Harcourt and Niger Delta University.

From campus competition to national stage

The BIGI Music competition gives student artistes a route to compete beyond their individual campuses.

According to information released ahead of the Zaria activation, standout performers from the participating universities can progress to regional battles before the national stage. The organisers say the two eventual national winners will receive studio production, A&R mentorship led by Bankulli, Soundcity Radio exposure and professionally produced music videos.

Those rewards could prove more significant to an emerging artiste than the campus cash prize because they offer access to professional production and industry exposure.

However, the programme’s eventual impact will depend on how many of the selected artistes receive sustained support after the competition. The organisers have not provided figures showing how many previous campus winners have progressed to professional music careers.

A growing campus tour

The ABU event came days after the tour completed activations at the University of Port Harcourt and Niger Delta University.

Reports on the earlier stages say the 2026 tour had reached 14 institutions before ABU, meaning five more campuses will follow the Zaria stop if the organisers’ 20-campus target remains unchanged.

The tour has also attracted large audiences at some campuses. At the University of Lagos, organisers reported that more than 5,000 students attended despite heavy rain, while more than 25 emerging artistes performed on the Soundcity stage. Those figures come from the tour organisers and have not been independently verified.

The programme combines music performances with talent discovery and commercial brand activation by Rite Foods, the maker of BIGI and Fearless Energy Drink.

For students, the immediate benefit is access to a live performance platform and competition prizes. For the sponsors, the tour provides a way to engage a large student audience while associating their brands with music and youth culture.

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Why the competition matters

Nigeria’s music industry has created opportunities for young performers, but getting from local performances to professional careers remains difficult.

Competitions such as BIGI Music can reduce one barrier by giving emerging artistes access to audiences, performance opportunities and industry professionals.

They also raise questions about what happens after the publicity ends. Cash prizes can provide short-term support, but long-term career development requires access to production, management, distribution, intellectual-property knowledge and sustainable income.

The organisers’ promised national-stage support therefore represents the part of the programme that could have the greatest lasting effect if delivered as stated.

What happens next?

Soundcity OnTour is expected to continue to its remaining campuses before concluding in Abuja in October.

The next stop listed by the organisers is the Federal University of Agriculture, Ogun State, from 29 September to 1 October.

For Abisola, Bhig Moe and Ibrahim Binkaly, the immediate milestone is their performance at ABU Zaria. The larger test will be whether the competition can turn campus recognition into sustained opportunities in Nigeria’s music industry.