emPawa Africa
Lagos-based label services and talent incubation company founded by Mr Eazi in 2018, running the emPawa 100 artist grant programme.
- Based in
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Founded
- 2018
- Founder
- Mr Eazi (Oluwatosin Ajibade); Ikenna Nwagboso (co-founder, departed January 2025)
- Website
- empawaafrica.com
emPawa Africa is a Lagos-headquartered label services and talent incubation company founded by Afrobeats artist Mr Eazi (Oluwatosin Ajibade) in November 2018, with operations beginning in 2019. Co-founder Ikenna Nwagboso ran the company’s label services and partnerships arm alongside Mr Eazi until his departure in January 2025.
The company runs the emPawa 100 programme, which awards grants and mentorship to emerging African artists, alongside distribution, publishing administration, marketing, an emPawa Finance funding arm and an emPawa Live events division. Artists signed or developed through the programme include Joeboy, GuiltyBeatz, Fave, King Promise, Tekno and Nandy. emPawa has held partnerships with Vydia, YouTube Music, Kobalt Music and Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment.
No parent company or outside investor has been identified in public reporting; emPawa Africa operates as an independent company under Mr Eazi’s ownership. Billboard named it one of the “Gatekeepers” of the Nigerian music industry in 2020.
