Nigerian YouTuber, Emdee Tiamiyu, is finally opening up on why he asserted in a BBC interview that Nigerian students do not go to the United Kingdom for their degrees, but rather for greener pastures. This assertion came just before the British Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, announced in a statement that beginning from January 2024, Nigerians and other international students would be barred from bringing dependents into the UK.
The YouTuber has faced heavy backlash on social media since the announcement, but in a recent Instagram Live session with Nigerian media personality, Daddy Freeze, Tiamiyu explained why he made the assertion. He said that he was trying to be real and that finding a balance between being diplomatic and being real was crucial.
Tiamiyu said, “If you want to be real, you will offend people. People don dey curse you since because you were mentioning why are they japaring [migrating abroad].”
While many on social media have condemned the YouTuber’s assertion, Daddy Freeze said he does not have a problem with what Tiamiyu said but rather, where he said it.
This controversy raises important questions about the motivations behind international students’ pursuit of education abroad and the implications of the UK’s decision to ban foreign students from bringing dependents into the country.
