Youtuber Emdee Tiamiyu Apologises After Backlash From Nigerians

Controversial Nigerian YouTuber, Emdee Tiamiyu, has issued an apology for his previous remarks during an interview with BBC, where he claimed that Nigerian students primarily travel to the United Kingdom for better opportunities rather than academic degrees.

Tiamiyu faced significant backlash on social media following the announcement of restrictions on student visa routes by the United Kingdom to reduce net migration. In a statement released on Tuesday, British Home Secretary Suella Braverman stated that, starting from January 2024, Nigerian and other international students would no longer be allowed to bring dependents into the UK.

Numerous Nigerians expressed their displeasure on various social media platforms, condemning Tiamiyu’s comments made during the interview with the BBC, particularly in light of the recent visa ban.

In response to the public outcry, the YouTuber took to his YouTube channel on Wednesday morning to express his regrets and offer an apology to Nigerians for any inconvenience caused by his previous assertions.

Tiamiyu said, “I am doing this from the reflections and the truthfulness of my heart that you have seen in the interview/ news feature. Please, I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

“If what you have seen being circulated has made you uncomfortable in any way at all, I am sorry, deeply and sincerely sorry.

“And why do I say sorry, because for whatever pain that you feel, I feel even more, because if I meet you in person if we were able to sit in the same space, probably engage, there is nothing in my heart for you other than love, progress and positive support. People who know me in the world know that this is what I have got.

“There is no other motivation than to grant an interview to speak on the challenges that we genuinely face as a black community back at home and also in the UK.”