On November 22, 2025, Nigerian singer-songwriter, talent manager, composer, and music executive Abisagboola Oluseun John AKA Bankulli hosted Nigerian music industry stakeholders at Ebonylife Cinema for a private screening of his documentary, Chronicles of Afrobeats.
I was privileged to be among those who got the first look at the documentary, and the exciting experience compels me to share its importance.
Over the last decade, there have been increased calls for the story of Afrobeats to be told from the West African perspective. Stakeholders cautioned that a failure to share these narratives would invariably lead to distorted versions that would minimise the contributions of Nigerians and Africans at home and abroad.
This sense of responsibility inspired Bankulli to create a documentary that draws from over two decades of robustly interacting with Nigerian music as a tireless creator, seasoned executive, avid storyteller, and passionate fan.
His privileged position has given him a front-row seat to witness the evolution of Afrobeats—from its early days in Nigeria to its rise in London and its gradual ascension to a global sound.
