Nigeria, Oct. 1 -- Nigeria marks 66 years of independence today, offering another opportunity to assess how far the country has come. More often than not, the verdict is more scathing than complimentary.

Long before hashtags became tools of protest, Nigerian musicians held a mirror to the country through songs as entertaining as they were critical. From Fela Kuti's blistering attacks on oppression and hardship to the reggae and hip-hop voices that followed, the sound evolved. Still, the complaints remained: bad governance, rising living costs, rights abuses, division and broken promises.

At a time when hardship still dominates conversations in markets, bus stops and group chats, these songs feel less like history and more like a running...