Presidency Questions Wizkid’s Grammy Loss After Viral Coachella Performance

The Nigerian Presidency has expressed surprise at the failure of Wizkid’s global hit song, “Essence,” to win a Grammy Award.

Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, raised the question on social media following Wizkid’s surprise appearance at the 2026 Coachella festival. Wizkid and Tems joined Canadian singer Justin Bieber on stage to perform the remix of the song, which was a worldwide hit.

Reacting to the viral performance, Onanuga praised the track and wondered why such a successful song did not get the top music award. “Still wondering why Essence did not win a Grammy. Great song, great rhythm!” he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page.

The performance at Coachella reminded many fans of how the song helped Afrobeats become popular worldwide. Released in 2020, Essence became the first Nigerian song to reach the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

However, the Presidency’s comment has faced mixed reactions from Nigerians online. While some agreed that the song deserved an award, others criticised the official for focusing on music rather than the country’s economic challenges, such as hunger and poverty.