Popular Nigerian travel filmmaker and YouTuber Tayo Aina has opened up about why he spent a staggering $150,000 to acquire a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport.
Speaking on the podcast “Am I Too Loud?”, Tayo revealed that repeated visa denials pushed him to make the life-changing decision.
He disclosed that despite having visited Dubai twice before, he was denied a visa on two separate occasions when invited to speak at the prestigious NAS Summit, alongside top global creators such as Casey Neistat.
“I was invited as a speaker at the NAS Summit. I’d been to Dubai twice before, but they denied me twice — just because I was Nigerian,” he said.
Tayo further explained that this was not the first time he had faced travel restrictions or harassment due to his Nigerian passport. Even within Africa, he had encountered similar treatment.
“I’ve had issues in Ethiopia, South Africa… they’ve either held my passport or denied me entry. But that Dubai experience broke me,” he admitted.
According to the filmmaker, missing out on that global opportunity became a turning point in his life, prompting him to prioritize freedom of movement above all else.
“That day I told myself — never again. My biggest goal in life is freedom. Freedom to be wherever I want, whenever I want, with whoever I want,” he explained.
Tayo eventually saved up and purchased the Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship, which grants visa-free access to over 150 countries around the world.
“I just saved up and bought the passport. That decision changed everything for me,” he added.