On 5 November 2026, eight Nigerian songs were in the Apple Music Ghana top 50. In the Apple Music Nigeria top 50, the number of Ghanaian songs was zero. The traffic between West Africa’s two biggest music markets runs mostly one way, and the charts of 5 November showed it clearly. Here is Ghana vs Nigeria on those charts, side by side.
Ghana’s top 10: Kweku Smoke and nine others
Ghana’s chart belongs to Kweku Smoke. His album NO DAYS OFF supplied eight of the top ten: “Bra” at number one, “Faith” with Lasmid at two, then “Bombele”, “Survivor”, “Soul Healer”, “Halleluyah”, “Mmereniho” with Dikoo and “Okwantunii”. The other two places went to Kofi Mole’s “Balotelli (Supa)” at five and Blaqbonez and Asake’s “IKEBE 3000” at eight. Across the whole top 50, Kweku Smoke appears 19 times and Black Sherif ten.
Nigeria’s top 10: FOLA, Seyi Vibez, BNXN and Asake
Nigeria’s top ten is more varied. Peruzzi, Zlatan and Shoday’s “INFERNO” is number one, followed by BNXN’s “If You Like”, Seyi Vibez’s “Back 2 U”, “IKEBE 3000”, Asake‘s “Forgiveness”, Seyi Vibez’s “GTA”, BNXN and Asake’s “Eja Meja”, FOLA’s “miss u ii (nriri)”, Davido, FOLA and Mayorkun’s “B4 B4”, and Asake’s “WHY LOVE”. FOLA appears 13 times in the top 50 and Seyi Vibez eight.
The eight songs both countries agree on
Eight songs are in both top 50s, and all eight are Nigerian:
“IKEBE 3000” by Blaqbonez and Asake (Ghana 8, Nigeria 4). “Forgiveness” by Asake (11 and 5). “Gratitude” by Asake (14 and 25). “B4 B4” by Davido, FOLA and Mayorkun (16 and 9). “WHY LOVE” by Asake (23 and 10). “Chanel” by Blaqbonez featuring Asake (27 and 36). “Dem Dey” by Burna Boy (39 and 15). “BIG PERFORMER” by Blaqbonez (47 and 50).
Asake is on five of the eight, and in Ghana he is the foreign artist with the most songs in the top 50.
Where are the Ghanaians in Nigeria?
Not one Ghanaian act was in Nigeria’s top 50 that day. That includes Black Sherif, whose “Kwaku the Traveller” went to number one on Apple Music in both countries in 2022, and Camidoh, whose “Sugarcane” remix topped Apple Music Nigeria in 2022. Ghanaian songs can break through in Lagos, but this autumn none has.
What Ghana is streaming beyond Kweku Smoke
Below the top ten, Ghana’s chart is full of local names. Black Sherif’s “Jolie”, “Expresso” and “SWAGGA” are all in the top 25, as is “Forever” with AratheJay. AratheJay’s “FAMAME” is at 20, Fameye’s “Gen Z” at 24 and Kwesi Arthur’s “Yawa (Hosanna)” at 29. Further down are M.anifest and Black Sherif’s “ROAD RAGE”, KiDi and Lasmid’s “Signature” and O’Kenneth.
Why the gap?
Part of it is size: Nigeria’s market is far bigger, and its stars release constantly. Part of it is language. Ghana’s biggest hits this season are Twi-language rap and drill, while Nigeria’s chart is dominated by Afrobeats and street pop. And part of it is timing: NO DAYS OFF is a Ghanaian rap album at the peak of its run, and rap albums rarely cross borders as fast as party singles.
What to watch next
Ghana will be watching whether anyone can break Kweku Smoke’s grip, and whether any Ghanaian song can get back into Nigeria’s top 50. Sarkodie’s Deja Vu EP on 27 November, with KiDi and King Promise, might be the best chance. For the songs that are hot across Africa right now, see the AfroYard Hot Songs chart.
