If I had a penny for every time the top trend on Twitter read Nativeland stage collapses, I’d have two pennies. That is not a lot but considering that it is two pennies in five years, that is intriguing. What is a Nativeland and why does half of Twitter swear off it from any Detty December guide?
HISTORY OF NATIVELAND?
Nativeland is an annual Afro-beats festival in Nigeria that features performances from popular artists and a vibrant atmosphere celebrating Afro-centric culture, music, and food. It’s known for attracting a diverse crowd, including fans, influencers, and industry professionals.
While the event aims to provide an unforgettable experience, it has faced criticism in the past for issues. One of the first issues occurred in its fourth edition in 2019.
At NATIVELAND19, held at Muri Okunola Park, chaos erupted during Fireboy DML’s performance of “Scatter.” As the crowd danced, metal barriers in the VIP lounge collapsed, leading to a rush toward the exits. Panic ensued as attendees, frightened and desperate to escape, began climbing fences.
Security’s attempts to restore order, including physical interventions, were ineffective against the growing frenzy. The situation escalated when people outside the venue tried to force their way in, resulting in a struggle that caused the Muri Okunola gate to collapse. This led to several injuries; fortunately, there were no fatalities, but many people required hospitalisation.
NATIVE’s 2019 statement.
Reflecting on past incidents, many attendees still felt compelled to experience NATIVELAND in hopes that it would offer a memorable celebration of Afrobeats culture. This was true for Oyinkansola*, who, despite the festival’s troubled history, anticipated an electric atmosphere at NATIVELAND 2024. Unfortunately, NATIVELAND24 faced a similar predicament. This time, at Sol Beach, Oniru, and a Native Record signee was affected.
NATIVELAND 2024:
At the dawn of 2024, 49th Street had an article which read How Do You Solve A Problem Like Nativeland? The piece was a review of NATIVELAND 2023. The event was not precisely met with rave reviews as performers came in as late as 6 am. However, its 2024 counterpart blows all critiques of the 2023 festival.
On the 21st of December 2024, Native Records signee, Odumodublvck tweeted, “NATIVE LAND TONIGHT, JESUS IS IN CONTROL, GROUND GO SHAKE.” Little did he know that by the cusp of the 23rd, these statements would take a less metaphorical turn.
With anticipation building, attendees were buzzing with excitement over the lineup and the festive atmosphere. What began as a night of celebration quickly spiralled into chaos when, around 3:35 am, the NATIVELAND stage unexpectedly collapsed.
NATIVELAND 2024 statement.
Oyinkansola who was on the stage during the incident, reflects on the ‘traumatic’ experience. In her words, “I was scratched, stepped on and pushed as I also scrambled to get off.”
INTO HER NATIVELAND EXPERIENCE:
Oyinkansola, 22, chooses to remain anonymous as she recounts her story. NATIVELAND 2024 was not her first experience at the festival, however, she explains that it is her villain origin story. “GOD FORBID I am never attending it again and I hope everyone does the same,” she said.
“I heard about NATIVELAND from social media when I was in high school.” Her first time at NATIVELAND was the 2019 edition, and amidst the ruckus, she had an amazing time. This influenced her decision to attend the 2024 version. “I went with my best friend and I went for the vibes. NATIVELAND is the only Afrobeats festival in Nigeria so I didn’t want to miss it even with all their past mishaps.” While the vibes were high on her list of priorities for the night, another highlight for her was the lineup. “I honestly went for Santi [Cruel Santino] and Odunsi [The Engine] and I also wanted to listen to the new upcoming artists. I really wanted to see Central Cee and it was unfortunate that he never showed up regardless of the big disaster.”
Note: Central Cee was slated to headline NATIVELAND but was replaced by Afrobeats superstar, Wizkid.
But Oyinkansola was not entirely pleased with the lineup, saying, “I was definitely not there for Odumodu [Odumodublvck] and was very happy he did not get to perform.” Oyinkansola’s hate for Odumodublvck almost saved her from the gruesome event, as she states, “I remember telling my bestie that we should start going off the stage. I didn’t want to be on stage with Odumodu as I detest him. The next thing I heard was a loud bang. and everyone started falling around me.”
Oyinkansola’s disdain for Odumodu was quickly erased by the realisation of what was going on. “The accident occurred around 3:35 am when Odumodu was about to go on. My bestie and I were dancing on stage. We were around some of our favourite influencers brought in by topicals. I was incredibly confused and genuinely thought it was a gunshot until something hit my head— a part of the set-up fell on me— then I realized I was falling as well.”
While falling in and out of a state of confusion, she panicked hoping her best friend was in a better condition. “I was separated from my best friend and was terrified as I thought something had happened to her,” she said. “We eventually found each other and thankfully were fine with only a few scratches.”
However, Oyinkansola notes that not many were as lucky as she was, “The situation was awful. We were pretty traumatized and had to watch several people get carried out of the stage on stretchers. Some appeared unresponsive and I could only stand and watch and hope that they were alive.”
WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE PEOPLE AND WHO IS TO BE BLAMED?
NATIVE [the event’s organisers], shortly issued a statement, affirming that no lives were lost. The statement also provided an insight into what went wrong. “Our preliminary investigations have revealed that the stage setup did not follow our approved stage and lighting plans, which we believe led to the collapse.”
The statement revealed that they are exploring legal actions to hold the contractors accountable.
The affected artiste, Odumodublvck spoke to HIPTV about the ordeal, “For some reason, I wasn’t scared and I didn’t panic because God is always in me and for some reason, I didn’t panic at all.” He also shared that he holds no grudges against NATIVE, “People don’t know things like this. When they say ‘come and do shows’, there’s a production company, light people, sound people and security.”
“People think it’s just one person, but it’s good to educate people that there are different factions of this thing to put up a show.” He explained that the blame is not entirely on the organizers. “You can’t really point fingers at one person or everyone for one person’s mistake. All in all, we thank God nobody died, and the casualties have been taken care of to the best of my knowledge.”