Afrobeats singer Seun Kuti has blamed Nigerian politicians for the country’s poor image abroad, dismissing the notion that internet fraudsters, popularly known as Yahoo boys, are responsible.
Speaking on the Honest Bunch Podcast, Kuti argued that the world does not judge a nation based on the actions of its worst citizens but rather on the conduct of its most prominent figures.
“Oh, because of Yahoo boys, they don’t respect Nigerians. This narrative we accept about our society is wrong. We know fully well that the only reason nobody respects Nigeria is because of our politicians,” he said.
The singer stressed that Nigerians often fall for a misleading narrative that internet scammers are to blame for the country’s negative reputation, whereas the true reflection of a nation lies in how its leaders conduct themselves on the global stage.
“Nobody judges a country by the worst people in it. Every country in this world is judged by the behavior of the best people — the most prominent people. It is when they see the behavior of our prominent people that they form their opinion about Nigeria,” Kuti added.
According to him, until Nigerian politicians embrace integrity and responsible leadership, the country will continue to struggle for respect in the international community.
