Up-and-coming Nigerian rapper Paragon QTM (Okonkwo Patience Chikodili) has opened up on the uphill battle female musicians face in the male-dominated Nigerian music space, revealing they “have to fight twice as hard” just to be noticed.

In a candid reflection, Paragon pointed out that male counterparts dominate every level of the industry—from radio playlists to stage bookings—leaving women to work significantly harder to carve out visibility. She highlighted that male artists enjoy broader appeal across gender lines and benefit from industry executives who are overwhelmingly men .

Paragon—known for her hit “Gozie M (Bless Me)”—told our reporters that financial constraints compound the challenge. She shared that some promoters exploit female artists, withholding promised fees or denying even basic allowances like transport money.

Citing industry voices, Nigerian music critic Joey Akan sums it up: “For every one successful female singer, there are 10 men… the women are groaning under the weight of [sexism]”. Females are often labeled with qualifiers like “female rapper” or “female DJ,” while men are simply called “rapper” or “DJ,” reinforcing the perception that their gender comes before their talent .

Renowned Afro‑soul artist Aramide added that female musicians must “work like ten times harder just to be noticed; that’s why I say you have to always up your creativity at every point in time”.