The Voice Nigeria is set to premiere on the 10th of April! The coaches lined up for the show include leading Nigerian vocalists; 2Baba (formerly known as 2Face), Waje, Timi Dakolo and Patoranking. As a Nigerian and a genuine fan of The Voice, I am very excited to see the talent that Nigeria has to offer.

Lately, the Nigerian music industry has received a lot of publicity for a wide variety of high quality and original music being put out by Nigerian musicians, and also recent collaborations between Nigerian artists and artists from all over the world. Here are some reasons why the coming of The Voice to Nigeria, at this time, is good for the Nigerian music industry:

1. Seasoned artists as mentors for the contestants

The talented singers who make it on to the show will have a rare opportunity to be mentored by some of the most successful musicians in Nigeria. Currently, it’s already very difficult for talented upcoming singers to get the attention of successful artists like the four selected coaches on The Voice Nigeria. So it is absolutely awesome that the show will give the contestants the opportunity to not only get the attention of the coaches, but also work with them on an individual basis.

2. Grooming of good quality musicians/artists

The entire set up of the show, from professional mentoring by the selected coaches to real life advice from the coaches to their teams, encourages the grooming of real artists who will possibly go on to produce high quality music.

3. Emphasis on "the voice" and not physical appearance (or as Nigerians like to say, “swag”)

From the start of the show, each contestant’s talent is prioritized over their physical appearance. The blind auditions help to make sure that the focus is on the talent, the unique sound that each contestant has to offer. It is true that some contestants who eventually make it on to the show may sometimes end up changing or altering their looks. However, based on previous seasons of The Voice in other countries, such changes occur after the contestants have been selected based on their talent and individual sounds, during the subsequent process of growth and development into the fullness of their artistry.

4. Opportunity for established and successful artists to give back by coaching talented upcoming artists

The coaching process provides a good opportunity for the established artists who have been selected as coaches to give back to the Nigerian people who have supported their careers thus far. The coaches are challenged to mentor the talented upcoming singers in their various teams, and help guide the singers towards the start of potentially successful musical careers.

5. Competition for already existing singing competitions in Nigeria

There are already a number of singing competitions taking place in Nigeria. Recently, many Nigerians have expressed concerns about these already existing singing competitions becoming less helpful in identifying, grooming and setting up talented singers for successful careers. The coming of The Voice to Nigeria, with all of its uniqueness, will certainly serve as a wake up call to other singing competitions to step up their game and improve their methods.

6. One more additional opportunity for talented singers to pursue their dreams

The Voice Nigeria presents one more additional opportunity for talented singers to pursue their dreams and have a chance at developing their skill set in order to have successful musical careers.

7. Major boost to the Nigerian music industry

This coming of The Voice to Nigeria will serve as a major boost to the Nigerian music industry because of the publicity and new talent that the show will bring.