Singer Niniola Loses Husband

Nigerian afro-house singer Niniola Apata has announced the death of her husband and long-time manager, Michael Ndika, also known as Big Mike. The Grammy-nominated artiste shared the heartbreaking news in a series of emotional posts on her Instagram story in the early hours of May 19, 2026.

The 39-year-old singer wrote, “God took him… My husband died” . In a subsequent post, she expressed the depth of her grief, adding, “God took him. 13 years. 13 f***ing years”. The cause of Ndika’s death has not been disclosed.

The couple had been married for 13 years, though Niniola kept the relationship entirely private. She had denied being married as recently as October 2025 during a radio interview on Yanga FM Lagos, where she said, “I don’t care what anyone says about my personal life. I’m not a 12-year-old. I’m not married”.

Ndika was the Chief Executive Officer of NaijaReview, a multimedia platform he founded in 2011 that focused on Afro-house and contemporary African music promotion. Before entering the entertainment industry, he worked as a Systems Engineer and later Head of IT at Associated Haulages. He also co-owned an NGO known as Adopt-a-Child’s Education.

Their relationship began in 2013 when Niniola tried to contact producer Sarz after her appearance on Project Fame West Africa. Ndika, who was managing Sarz at the time, took her call and later became her manager around the release of her debut single “Ibadi” in March 2014. Their professional partnership gradually became a personal one.

On May 27, 2026, Niniola penned an emotional tribute to her late husband on Instagram, describing him as her best friend and confidant. “My best friend, my confidant, my pillar, my gossip partner, my laughter, my joy giver, my provider, my business partner, my husband, my brother, he was the air I breathe,” she wrote . She added, “I can’t survive this… Michael was all that I needed because he was one in a million”.

Condolence messages have continued to pour in for the singer from fans and fellow artists across social media platforms . No official statement has been released by her management team, and further details regarding his passing remain awaited.