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.

Ahmadu Bello University students had the chance to compete for a ₦1 million music prize as Soundcity OnTour brought its nationwide talent search to Zaria from 18 to 20 August.

The Zaria stop was the 15th of 20 planned university activations in a tour running from June to October, according to organisers and reports on the programme.

The event gave student artistes an opportunity to audition for the BIGI Music competition, while the wider programme featured live performances and entertainment.

How the competition works

Student artistes took part in live auditions on the second day of the activation.

The organisers said the top five performers would earn places on the main concert stage, with one campus winner receiving the ₦1 million prize.

The competition also offers a route beyond the individual campus events.

Winners from participating universities are expected to enter regional battles, where judging and social engagement will determine which artistes progress to the national stage.

Two eventual national winners are due to receive studio production, A&R mentorship led by Bankulli, Soundcity Radio rotation and professionally produced music videos, according to the organisers.

Those longer-term opportunities are potentially more significant than the immediate cash prize because they could give selected student artistes access to professional production and industry exposure.

However, the organisers have not publicly provided details in the material available on how the judging process will be independently verified, how many artistes will reach each regional stage, or how the final winners will be selected.

Why the campus tour matters

The initiative comes as Nigeria continues to position its creative industries as part of its wider economic diversification strategy.

The Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy says the sector is intended to contribute to economic growth, job creation and investment. The ministry reported in August that the creative sector currently contributes about 2.3% of GDP and has a target of reaching ₦100 billion in GDP contribution and creating two million jobs by 2030.

The government has also been developing financing and policy structures for the sector.

The Creative Economy Development Fund, approved by the Federal Executive Council, is designed to provide financing for creative businesses across areas including music, film, fashion, publishing and gaming.

In April, the ministry also said it had established committees to work on policy, implementation, stakeholder engagement and monitoring of the creative economy.

That policy push matters because opportunities such as the Soundcity competition address only one part of the problem: finding talent.

Emerging artistes still need access to finance, professional management, intellectual property protection, production facilities and reliable routes to audiences if early-stage opportunities are to translate into sustainable careers.

Nigeria is also reviewing its broader cultural policy. The Federal Government said in 2025 that the National Policy on Culture, last reviewed in 1988, was being updated to reflect changes in the creative economy.

More than a concert

At ABU, the talent competition formed one part of a three-day programme.

The final day featured performances by Falz, Magnito, Firstklaz, Hypeman Best and DJ Dewik, according to the organisers.

The tour has already visited institutions including the University of Port Harcourt, Niger Delta University, University of Lagos, University of Uyo, University of Calabar, Olabisi Onabanjo University and Obafemi Awolowo University.

At the University of Lagos, organisers reported that more than 5,000 students attended despite heavy rainfall, while more than 25 emerging artistes performed on the Soundcity stage.

That figure provides some indication of the potential reach of the campus model, although attendance at one university does not establish the overall impact of the tour.

Who benefits?

Student artistes stand to gain the most directly if the competition provides genuine access to industry professionals and further opportunities.

Universities also benefit from bringing large-scale entertainment and creative activities to their campuses, while established artistes gain another platform to reach young audiences.

For Rite Foods, which makes BIGI and Fearless Energy Drink, the partnership also provides a way to market its brands to students through music and campus entertainment.

That commercial interest is important context. The programme is both a talent-discovery initiative and a branded entertainment campaign.

The two objectives are not necessarily incompatible, but claims about talent development should ultimately be judged by what happens to participating artistes after the tour.

What happens next?

Soundcity OnTour is expected to continue to its remaining university stops before ending in Abuja in October.

The key test will be whether the competition produces lasting opportunities for emerging artistes rather than short-term campus exposure.

For the students who participated in Zaria, the ₦1 million prize may be the immediate attraction. But the more significant question is whether the promised regional and national stages can turn campus performances into sustainable music careers.