Nigerian singer and businessman Raheem Okoya, popularly known as Sir Raheem, has announced that he is stepping away from releasing new music.
The 23-year-old son of billionaire industrialist Razaq Okoya made the announcement in a lengthy post shared on his Instagram page, explaining that his growing professional responsibilities have made it difficult for him to devote the level of time and commitment he believes his music career deserves.
Raheem said his journey into music began as a hobby shared with friends before developing into a professional career that gave him memorable experiences, major performances and recognition from artistes he had admired while growing up.
According to him, balancing his musical ambitions with other commitments became increasingly challenging over the past year.
He said he has always believed in giving his best to every pursuit and decided that stepping away from releasing new songs was the most professional decision for both his fans and colleagues in the music industry.
Despite the decision, the singer suggested that his relationship with music may not be completely over. He described music as therapeutic and revealed that he still has unreleased material which he considers some of the best work of his career.
Raheem said he hopes to explore other creative and professional ventures, while leaving open the possibility that some of his previously recorded music could eventually be released.
The young businessman currently serves as an executive director of Eleganza Industrial City Limited, a company owned by his father. Earlier this year, he disclosed that he had been learning and working closely with his father from a young age in preparation for greater responsibilities within the family business.
His decision marks a major shift from his career as a recording artiste towards business and other creative pursuits, although he insists that his journey with music may still have unfinished chapters.