Nigerian writer and life coach, Solomon Buchi, has criticised the behaviours of some Lagos-based content creators and celebrities during the visit of American streamer Darren Watkins, popularly known as IShowSpeed, to Nigeria.
LEADERSHIP reports that IShowSpeed, 21, is currently on his "Speed Does Africa" tour, which berthed in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 21, 2026, coinciding with his birthday and his celebration of 50 million YouTube subscribers.
The 28-day tour, which began on December 29, 2025, covers 20 African countries, with Speed having visited 15 so far. Each stop has been marked by enthusiastic fans, viral livestreams, and spontaneous interactions.
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In Lagos, Speed met several creators, including Jack Manuel Fitness, who bent power twister bars while shouting "Strength is my superpower!" Speed was impressed but later called him "greedy" after he asked for $10,000.
Another memorable moment involved Jarvis, a robotic dancer who taught Speed her moves and performed a robotic birthday song.
Social media personality, Egungun, also met the streamer, conducting a brief interview that went viral online. He asked Speed about his age, fitness, and his signature energetic outbursts.
Meanwhile, social media personality, Peller, made several attempts to meet Speed, including riding a horse to catch up with the streamer's convoy, but was repeatedly ignored.
Despite the excitement, Speed clarified that the tour was not about influencers.
"The goal is to spotlight African culture-- everyday people, street performers, and local communities that rarely get global attention," he said.
Reacting to the encounters and attendant scenes captured in viral videos, Buchi questioned the interviewing skills of social media personality Egungun of Lagos, describing his exchange with IShowSpeed as "embarrassing" and lacking intellectual substance.
In the video that sparked Buchi's reaction, Egungun introduced himself to the visiting streamer as "the most popular lifestyle interviewer in Africa" before congratulating Speed for reaching "50,000" subscribers in YouTube, a statement the streamer immediately corrected to "50 million."
Egungun later commented on Speed's physical strength at 21, before the conversation turned into playful barking rather than meaningful dialogue about Speed's content-creation journey or rise to fame.
Buchi faulted what he called Egungun's "inability to conduct a proper interview," arguing that his signature approach, revolving around women, cosmetic enhancements, and his viral phrase "that's massive", might have earned him fame but does not demonstrate "intellectual depth or conversational skill."
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The commentator went further, expressing "deep embarrassment" over several clips from Speed's time in Nigeria. He lamented what he described as "culturally normalised begging" and criticised Nigerian celebrities for "desperately trying to associate with Speed for clout."
"Speed does not know most of these celebrities," Buchi said. "He seems more interested in interacting with everyday people rather than fake personas, clout chasers, or classist Nigerian celebrities."
Buchi added that while Nigerians often criticised their political leaders, it was equally concerning to witness "the shameless behaviour of some Nigerians in public spaces."
Another viral clip that drew Buchi's ire featured streamer Peller, who was seen chasing IShowSpeed on horseback while shouting: "I am a streamer! I'm big. I know, but please let's do something! I have suffered because of you!"
Reacting to that incident, Buchi condemned the act and emphasised the importance of professionalism.
"Education is not a scam," he wrote. "As a well-known streamer in Africa, Peller should have reached out to Speed professionally before his arrival in Nigeria, or at least had his team initiate contact."
He described the scene as "shameful," noting that "grown men -- people's husbands, fathers, and boyfriends -- were crowding around Speed in undignified behaviour."
Concluding his remarks, Buchi raised concerns about how such livestreams could shape global perceptions of Nigerians.
"What is the world seeing about Nigerian people from Speed's livestream?" he asked, stressing his worry about the image being projected internationally.
