Davido recently performed at BK Arena in Kigali Praised it
African superstar Davido has said that the BK Arena in Kigali is a model for many countries, saying he has yet to hold a major concert in his home country of Nigeria because the infrastructure is not there.
He made the remarks at the Africa CEO Forum, which will be held from Monday, May 12, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The forum brought together over 2,000 people, including business leaders, investors and politicians, to see how the private sector can contribute to Africa’s development.
When given the floor on Tuesday, May 13, the artiste spoke about Africa’s development in the arts and the infrastructure that accompanies it, noting that great strides have been made.
He said that he studied in the United States but was often surprised to see many people asking him if there were any concrete projects in Africa.
He said, “In fact, the art industry in Africa has developed to a high level, not just for Nigerians, but for the whole of Africa. I went to study in America between the ages of 15 and 17, at that time, being African was frowned upon. People would ask me, ‘How did you get here?’, ‘Do you have an airplane in your country?’ I would say, ‘Whatever car you have here in America, we have it in Nigeria.’”
He says that he has always been committed to the development of Africa and that before he started his music career, he chose to return to Nigeria rather than work in the United States.
He said, “I started my music career in my home country, but my music brought me back to the United States. Now I sell concert tickets, fill concert halls, and even make history. But the most important thing for me is that I don’t think that anyone will be recognized if they are popular in America or England, which should be the goal of an African artist. No. The real goal is to do great things here in our country.”
He says that the biggest problem in Africa right now is where to hold concerts because many countries don’t have large venues. He then gave an example, saying that currently Rwanda and Senegal are among the countries that have taken the lead in contributing to building concert venues.
“The biggest challenge I have now is the venue for live performances […] Why? Music has reached such a high level that we want to give big shows like the ones we do in the UK and Europe. But let me tell you something else, I haven’t done a show in Nigeria yet, not because it’s impossible, but because we don’t have the infrastructure to do it.”
He continued, “I think Rwanda has that place. Dakar also has a good venue for concerts. There are other places that they are building, but they are still in the process.”
The artist said that he invested in music without expecting any profit, especially since the artists he works with do not pay him, and he has now set his sights on cinema.
Davido last performed in Kigali in 2023. It was a concert held at the BK Arena during the Giants of Africa Festival held in Kigali, Rwanda from the 13th to the 19th of August 2023.
It concluded with a concert that featured artists led by Nigerians Davido and Savage, South African Tayla and Bruce Melodie.
