Popular Nigerian rapper Jude Abaga, better known as M.I, has stirred conversation with his recent claim that internet fraudsters bankroll a significant portion of the country’s music industry.

Speaking as a guest on the "So Nigerian" podcast, M.I described the situation as a national embarrassment, lamenting that much of the industry’s funding comes either from foreign sources or from proceeds of cyber fraud.

“There’s a lot of controversy when it comes to Yahoo Yahoo because, for many artistes, that’s the funding they have,” he explained.

“It’s an indictment on our country that we have such talented musicians, yet the major financial support comes from the West and the fraud industry. It shows something is wrong. Hopefully, we can do better.”

He called on wealthy Nigerians to invest in the creative sector, stressing that, at present, it is mostly young people financially supporting one another within the music scene.