Nigerian singer Portable claims no Nigerian artist can win a Grammy Award without featuring him, as a rematch with Charles Okocha looms July 31 in Lagos.
Nigerian street-pop singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, declared Sunday that no artiste in the country can win a Grammy Award without first featuring him on a song, a claim he made during a live television interview that also touched on his growing celebrity boxing career and an upcoming rematch.
Portable made the remarks during an interview on Rubbin’ Minds on Channels Television. He described his influence in the music industry as decisive, positioning himself as a gateway to international recognition for any Nigerian act.
“If any artist wants to collect Grammy in this Nigeria, if you don’t feature me, you’d not collect a Grammy.” Portable told the program, adding: “No Nigerian artist will win a Grammy without featuring me.
“He also called himself the ‘newborn Fela’ and declared that thousands of artists look to him as a model, as gathered by Westtrybe from the source report.
Beyond the Grammy assertion, Portable spoke at length about celebrity boxing. He said his fighting career contributed to the popularity of celebrity boxing in Nigeria, stating that he used his music career to build the sport.
He challenged any boxer in the country to name a fighter who collected more than N100 million in a single year, pointing to his own earnings as proof of his standing in the sport.
The singer confirmed his July 31 rematch with actor Charles Okocha, whom he predicted he would defeat. Rejecting any suggestion that Okocha could win, Portable declared, “Don’t worry, not if I win. I’m winning this match.
I’m the face of boxing in Nigeria 2026. “The fight carries the title “Unfinished Business” and is scheduled to be held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, as gathered by Westtrybe.
The rematch was triggered when Okocha invoked a rematch clause following Portable’s unanimous-decision victory in their first bout. Both men have since traded threats, with Okocha training alongside WBO Intercontinental heavyweight champion Moses Itauma, while Portable is preparing with WBA Africa lightweight champion Taiwo “Esehpo” Agbaje.
His unbeaten run ended in May 2026 when skit maker Carter Efe defeated him by unanimous decision at Chaos in the Ring 4 in Lagos. Portable has not shied away from that defeat, telling the Channels Television program that he intends to remain active in the ring after the Okocha fight.
After the Okocha bout, Portable said he plans to travel to London and, upon returning, intends to fight Terry G., listing the United States, Russia, Malaysia, Dubai, and South Africa among the destinations on his 2026 tour.
Asked who he would like to face next in the ring, the singer replied, “I want to fight Terry G. If Terry G fights me, one-on-one in boxing, he will rise again.
Terry G has not responded publicly to Portable’s challenge. Sunday’s interview ranged from Grammy predictions to boxing finances, with Portable maintaining throughout that his career in both music and the ring has produced results no other Nigerian entertainer can match.
He won his first exhibition bout against actor Charles Okocha by decision before stopping rapper Speed Darlington via technical knockout in April 2025, after his opponent suffered a shoulder injury that brought the contest to an early close. Two fights, two wins, and a growing confidence that his celebrity boxing record reflected something more than novelty.
That record, now broken by the Carter Efe loss, remains the backdrop against which Portable frames both his Grammy claims and his ring ambitions heading into the July 31 “Unfinished Business” rematch. The defeat did not appear to quiet him. If anything, it sharpened the narrative he is building around himself, one in which the setback exists only to make the comeback more compelling.
