Afrobeats megastar Davido has taken a firm stance against protecting Nigeria's image while school children are being kidnapped, explaining his decision to use his performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to draw global attention to the abduction of Oyo schoolchildren. In an interview with the BBC, Davido said he chose to wear a jacket pinned with the names of 39 abducted children and seven teachers during his World Cup side event performance in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
Davido Rejects Image Protection at Expense of Kidnapped Children
Davido's activism drew both praise and criticism. Some commended him for amplifying the plight of Nigerians facing record insecurity, while critics, including Hausa praise singer Dauda Adamu Kahutu, known as Rarara, accused him of lacking patriotism by airing the country's problems on a global stage. Davido, however, dismissed the idea of protecting Nigeria's image under such circumstances. “A lot of people don’t really want to talk about what goes on in my country (Nigeria) simply because they want to protect the image, but there's no image to protect if the little kids are being kidnapped,” he told the BBC's Focus on Africa program. “There’s no image to protect if little kids are being kidnapped.”
Using Music and Performance as a Platform for Activism
Davido explained that his choice of outfit and activism stemmed from a desire to use his platform responsibly. “As much as I was happy to do the World Cup, we also have to understand that things are going on back home in our country, which we have the power to let the world know through our own means. My own means is music and performances, so I used my platform to project what is going on,” he said. The award-winning star is among a growing list of celebrities speaking out about Nigeria's rising insecurity and economic hardship.
Davido's History of Activism: From ENDSARS to Kidnapping Crisis
This is not Davido's first foray into activism. During the 2020 ENDSARS protests against police brutality and corruption, he participated in demonstrations and his hit song 'FEM' became an unofficial anthem for the movement. Now, as Nigerians await the safe return of the abducted school children and teachers from the Orile kidnapping in Oyo, Davido continues to use his voice. With his sixth album set for release on July 31, 2026, the Afrobeats megastar plans to embark on another landmark tour, where he will again have opportunities to spotlight Nigeria's problems on a global stage.
