A surprising skit collaboration featuring Nigerian rapper MI Abaga and global philanthropist Bill Gates has ignited a firestorm of discussion across social media platforms in Nigeria, with a significant portion of the online discourse leaning heavily towards negative sentiment.
After reporting that this was Mr Gates’s first foray in Nigerian comedy, analysts at Nigerian Entertainment Today observed social media comments on our platforms, MI Abaga’s, and Gates Nigeria’s platforms to reveal how Nigerians feel about the potential collaboration between an otherwise beloved music act and one of the richest men in the world.
The Nigerian public is speaking, and their message is clear. According to a Netng analysis of over 300 comments, a staggering 72.4% were negative, with the majority overwhelmingly suspicious of the intentions of Bill Gates and his foundation. This overwhelming proportion of critical feedback far outweighs the 8% of positive comments applauding the collaboration or praising MI, while the remaining 19.7% simply responded with confusion or emojis with neutral meaning.
Rapper and filmmaker Baba Dee summarises the general sentiment in a comment on Abaga’s post: “Dear Nigerian celebrities, you owe a responsibility to your people and to future generations of Africans. Don’t let your platforms or images be used to harm the very society that shaped you. You are intelligent, influential, and aware — and I believe you know the truth. Use your voice wisely.”
(@dare_fasasi)The reasons behind this wave of negativity appear multifaceted. Many perceive the collaboration as a public relations exercise rather than a genuine effort to address pressing issues, but the majority stems from a disapproval of Bill Gates and his alleged agenda to take over Nigeria’s agricultural sector with GMOs.
Some accuse him of seeking to depopulate Africa, and others are not impressed by the message in the video where the tech billionaire offers one of Africa’s lyrical geniuses advice on how to improve the classic song, Nigeria go Survive by the veteran Nigerian musician Ms. Veno Marioghae
Although the video features Layi Wasabi and Brodda Shaggi as well, most of the comments are directed towards MI, who posted the video on his Instagram account and reposted the video from Gates Nigeria on X. The strongly worded comments range from insulting MI’s physical appearance to accusations of his lack of thorough research and selling out for money.
M.I was not available for comments. He did not respond to Nigerian Entertainment Today enquiries. We did not receive immediate responses to the questions sent to the Gates Foundation.
For MI Abaga, this deluge of negative comments serves as a potent reminder that with great power comes great responsibility. He is a cultural leader, and his audience is not merely a passive consumer of his music but an active participant in the national discourse.
While artistic freedom is important and lies at the feet of the artiste, the influence and platform wielded by figures like MI Abaga come with a responsibility to ‘read the room,’ and pay attention to the sentiments and struggles of the people he represents.
This is Nigerians speaking to him directly, expressing their concerns and frustrations. It’s a call for greater discernment in his collaborations and a deeper understanding of the public’s perception of the entities he chooses to associate with, or perhaps provide more context to the collaboration instead of sharing a ‘not so great’ PR skit on Instagram.
The post Netng Exclusive: Nigerians disappointed with MI Abaga over Bill Gates skit appeared first on Nigerian Entertainment Today.
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