When the co-founder of the American finance channel, The School of Hard Knocks, James Dumoulin, announced that he was travelling to Nigeria to interview business leaders like Aliko Dangote and Tony Elumelu, Nigerians online reacted in a familiar way. The announcement elicited a stream of warnings, mostly from Nigerians: “Be careful.” “You may be kidnapped.” “This is not America,” “Do you really want to visit Nigeria?”
Weeks later, Dumoulin was in Lagos, walking through markets, sitting with some of Africa’s richest men, and posting videos that contrasted with earlier warnings. He spoke about the energy and hospitality of Nigerians and a country that had much more to offer than he had expected. He is not the first visitor to say this, and he will not be the last.
We have seen this play out again and again. A foreign YouTuber, podcaster, or entrepreneur announces a trip to Nigeria, and the comment section fills up with Nigerians voicing fear on their behalf. Then the visitor arrives, and the videos that follow rarely match the warnings. They show Nigerian humour, Afrobeats blaring from danfo buses, endless jollof rice arguments, strangers who insist on paying for their meal, and confidence in the streets that is surprising.
