Afrobeats megastar Davido sees Nigeria's star rising

The way Davido sees it, Nigerian culture is having a moment.

- 

"We're very popular, not only in music," the 32-year-old Afrobeats star said during a recent interview in Paris, pointing to the film, food and fashion influence his country is increasingly exporting to the rest of the world. Even amid criticism from some that American artists are starting to crib from Afrobeats' sound, his response is: "I like it." And yet, the Nigerian-American artist - a self-described citizen of the world sees the future of the continent tied to those who stay home, rather than its influential diaspora.

"Everybody always has the American dream," he said.

"Every kid that grows up in Africa wants to visit America. That's cool. It's okay to visit, but don't leave your people and go there." Those might be tough words to swallow for his compatriots battling the worst economic crisis in a generation. In recent years, "japa" - the Yoruba word for "escape" - has become country-wide slang for emigrating to greener, and richer pastures.