Mr Eazi is a singer and songwriter
Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Mr Eazi, has recounted a past incident, highlighting the struggles he faced in Kenya despite being fully paid to perform at a concert.
Speaking at the ongoing 2026 African Prosperity Dialogues, the singer alleged that Kenyan immigration officials prevented him from entering the country, even though his band was granted access.
Taking these experiences into account, Mr Eazi bluntly stated that touring Europe and America is far easier than touring within Africa as an artiste.
“I’ve spent six of those years as a singer touring the world, and four of those years doing a lot of entrepreneurships. I remember that in the first six years, it was easier to tour America and Europe than to tour Africa as a singer. So, while I had one of the biggest songs in Africa, it was harder for me to tour.
“I remember two occasions when I was going into Kenya with my band. Even though I had been paid to perform, I was stopped at the border. While my band, which included people of other nationalities, was allowed to enter, I, the lead artiste who was paid the most, had to wait at the border,” he said.
The musician also noted during his speech that cross-border friction within Africa is mostly felt by the youth, creatives, and individuals involved in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
According to him, although this remains a major challenge affecting businesses, young people are largely unperturbed due to how the internet has turned the world into a global village.
“This friction is felt the most by us, the youth, artistes, creators, influencers, SMEs, women, and young Africans who not only want to better their lives but also contribute to the shared prosperity of our continent.
“And I stand here today to say that young people under the age of 35 don’t really care about borders. We do this through collaboration, via the internet, cross-border business partnerships, and creativity,” he added.
JHM/EB
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