IShowSpeed in Africa: A Win for the Continent, A Missed Opportunity for Nigeria
- okolobicynthia
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
When IShowSpeed touched down in Africa, it wasn’t just another influencer tour, it was a cultural moment. Over the course of his journey, Speed moved through over 20 African countries, bouncing between bustling cities and quiet rural communities, laughing with kids, dancing with locals, and communicating, sometimes loudly, sometimes awkwardly with people from every social class.
And for once, Africa wasn’t filtered through pity, war headlines, or charity documentaries. It was raw, human, chaotic, joyful, and Africans loved it.
This was representation without the usual bias. No single story. No sad violin soundtrack. Just real people, real places, and real energy. A rare win for the continent.
But then… Nigeria happened.
Africa Was Shown in Full Color
What made Speed’s African tour special was his range. He didn’t just stick to polished skylines and luxury hotels. He went to villages, backstreets, markets, open roads, places that don’t usually make it into glossy travel brochures.
He interacted with everyone:
street vendors
students
elders
kids with boundless curiosity
It felt uncurate, unforced, and most importantly honest. That honesty is exactly why Africans across the continent felt seen. Finally, someone showed Africa as a lived experience, not a stereotype.
Then There’s Nigeria… and Only Lagos
Nigeria, the so-called Giant of Africa, the most populous Black nation on Earth, a cultural powerhouse was reduced to Lagos only.
And not even Lagos in its full complexity. What dominated the clips wasn’t our music, our innovation, our intellect, or our absurdly rich cultures, it was chaos and begging.
Endless hands outstretched. Constant demands for money. An atmosphere that felt desperate rather than dynamic.
To be clear: poverty exists. No one is denying that. But poverty is not the full Nigerian story.
Why Nigerians Are Rightfully Annoyed
The frustration isn’t really about Speed. It’s about missed opportunity.
Nigeria is not a monolith. It is 36 states and the FCT, each with distinct cultures, languages, food, landscapes, and histories.
He could have been taken to:
Calabar for culture and tourism
Osun or Ife for history and spirituality
Enugu for coal-city stories and Igbo heritage
Kano for ancient trade routes and architecture
Akwa Ibom or Cross River for nature and calm
Abuja for structure and balance
Instead, the world saw Lagos, unfiltered, unmanaged, and frankly unmanaged poorly.
The Beggarly Optics Hurt Let’s Be Honest
What made it sting was the optics. Nigerians know Lagos is aggressive, fast, and money-driven. But seeing that energy distilled into nonstop begging didn’t reflect our pride, resilience, or creativity.
It played into an old narrative: that Nigerians are always asking, always hustling, always scrambling.
And that’s the real pain point because Nigeria is also:
brilliant minds
cultural exporters
entrepreneurs
storytellers
trendsetters
None of that came through strongly.
This Is Also on Us
Let’s not dodge accountability. Influencers go where they’re taken. If no one curated a broader Nigerian experience, that’s on local organizers, tourism boards, and cultural ambassadors who consistently fail to tell our story properly.
Other African countries clearly understood the assignment.
Nigeria… freestyled and fumbled.
A Continental Win, A Nigerian “What If”
IShowSpeed’s African tour was a net positive. Africa won. Representation improved. The narrative shifted.
But for Nigeria, it feels like watching someone introduce your house to guests by showing only the noisy front gate and forgetting the beautiful rooms inside.
We don’t need to hide our struggles. We just need to tell the full story.
Because Nigeria is loud, yes, but it is also layered, deep, and endlessly fascinating. And next time the world is watching, we should do better than letting Lagos chaos speak for 200 million people.
A little less begging.
A little more intention.
A lot more Nigeria.
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