Former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has taken a swipe at Afrobeat superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, over the singer’s recent remarks about Nigeria’s economy.
Davido, while appearing on the foreign podcast The Big Homies House, described the Nigerian economy as being in “shambles.”
The comment sparked reactions, with Omokri taking to social media to counter the claim and question its validity.
Omokri argued that Nigeria’s economy could not be in “shambles” if achievements like Wizkid’s recent record-breaking album release were possible. He cited Wizkid’s album, Morayo, which garnered 12.12 million streams on its debut day on Spotify Nigeria—a feat that made it the highest-streamed album in the country’s history on its first day.
In a statement shared on Saturday, November 23, Omokri wrote:
“I beg to disagree with singer Davido that Nigeria’s economy is in shambles. If our economy is in shambles, how was it possible for Wizkid’s album, Morayo, to record 12.12 million streams on its inaugural day of release on Spotify Nigeria? Streaming music is purchased with disposable income. People do not have disposable income in an economy in shambles.”
He went on to compare Nigeria to countries like Venezuela and Argentina, whose struggling economies, he claimed, do not produce similar consumer trends.
Omokri also criticised Davido for not displaying what he described as sufficient patriotism toward Nigeria.
Drawing a parallel with Barbadian singer Rihanna, Omokri noted how the global superstar consistently promotes her home country, earning her recognition as a national hero in 2018.
“Perhaps if Davido had built a track record of showing more commitment to Nigeria, he, like Wizkid, would have broken streaming records on Spotify Nigeria,” Omokri remarked.
He urged Davido to reconsider his approach, suggesting that he use his platform to project Nigeria positively rather than speaking negatively about the country on international platforms.
Neither Davido nor his representatives have responded to Omokri’s remarks at the time of this report.
