LAGOS: American YouTuber IShowSpeed visited Nigeria's cultural and economic capital, Lagos, as part of his African tour on Wednesday, where he celebrated his 21st birthday by reaching 50 million subscribers.
The YouTube and Twitch star's tour began on December 29, traveling through about 15 countries in Africa and drawing crowds at each stop.
Rolling Stone magazine named him the most influential creator of 2025, while Forbes estimates his net worth at $20 million.
IShowSpeed began his visit to Lagos at the bustling Balogun Market in the Lagos Island district where the crowd booed him and asked him for money.
“What are they saying? It's like they speak English, but a different English,” commented the influencer, surrounded by bodyguards, as he quickly left the market.
At Freedom Park, located on the site of a former prison, he took advantage of the spicy taste of his first bite of jollof rice before heading to the Nike Art Gallery, a must-visit for every celebrity and high-ranking political figure visiting Lagos.
“IShowSpeed shows culture, relationships, cultural differences and food,” Stephen Oluwafisayomi, a 24-year-old YouTuber known as Stevosky, told AFP at Freedom Park.
“He wants Americans to see Africa as a place they can come too,” he added.
Around 6:00 pm (17:00 GMT), IShowSpeed, who was celebrating his birthday, stopped his security convoy on the side of the road to watch his YouTube channel reach 50 million subscribers and proceeded to stick his face in a cake for the occasion.
“It may have shown some negative aspects of these countries, but that should be able to motivate people to help, contribute and try to improve them, whether by starting companies, raising funds or by any other means at their disposal,” said Karim Jari, an 18-year-old high school student at the Nike Art Gallery.
The day before, IShowSpeed celebrated Senegal's victory at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Dakar.
Born in Cincinnati as Darren Jason Watkins Jr., the YouTube star began gaining traction 10 years ago, first posting video game content and then posting about his travels around the world.
His tour of Africa included a race against a cheetah in South Africa, a soccer match with 100 children in Angola, a visit to the Maasai of Kenya and the AFCON final in Morocco.
