LAGOS, September 4, 2026: Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has sharply criticised content creator and social commentator Solomon Buchi after Buchi advised foreign visitors to look beyond Lagos for what he described as a more authentic Nigerian experience.
Akosile responded to Buchi’s remarks on Friday, defending Lagos as a vibrant city whose nightlife, entertainment culture and cosmopolitan character remain important parts of its appeal to visitors.
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The exchange has opened a fresh conversation about how Nigeria presents itself to international tourists, and whether promoting lesser-known destinations requires Lagos to be portrayed in such dismissive terms.
Buchi had sparked the debate in a video shared online on September 3, urging non-Nigerians to reconsider making Lagos their main destination if they wanted to experience what he called Nigeria “in its truest and beautiful form”.
He specifically mentioned visitors from different parts of the world and argued that the country’s tourism story should not be reduced to its commercial capital.
“The problem is that every time you guys go to Nigeria, you go to Lagos,” Buchi said, before arguing that tourists should explore destinations including Uyo, Abuja, Ibadan, Calabar, Jos, Taraba, Kano, Yola and Bauchi.
His pitch was not simply about sightseeing.
Buchi presented the other destinations as places where international visitors could encounter different aspects of Nigerian culture, food, landscapes and everyday life.
For visitors interested in Yoruba culture, he particularly recommended Ibadan, while describing Uyo as serene and Abuja as beautiful.
He also argued that Lagos’s reputation for nightlife and entertainment can overshadow the wider cultural diversity of Nigeria.
But Akosile took issue with the manner in which Buchi made the argument.
In his response on X, the Lagos governor’s aide accused the content creator of showing “bitterness” towards the state instead of simply marketing the attractions of other parts of Nigeria.
“Dear Solomon, you could have done a better job of marketing other parts of Nigeria without displaying your bitterness to Lagos,” Akosile said.
He also defended the very features Buchi had criticised.
“Those clubbing, BBL etc that you mentioned with derision are some of the reasons why Lagos nightlife is interesting and they’re in high demand by those who visit our beautiful city,” Akosile said.
Akosile’s response became more pointed when he questioned the tone of Buchi’s commentary, saying, “I wonder what you guys smoke before you set up your ring lights and cameras, that makes you vomit diatribes.”
Despite the criticism, Akosile insisted that Lagos would continue to attract visitors and remain a city associated with opportunity and ambition.
“No matter your hateful rhetoric, Lagos will continue to get bigger, stronger and better. It is a city where dreams are realised,” he said.
The exchange is particularly striking because both men are, in different ways, making an argument about Nigeria’s image.
Buchi’s argument is that international visitors should travel beyond the destination that has become synonymous with Nigeria’s contemporary urban culture.
Akosile’s position is that there is nothing inherently contradictory about Lagos being a major tourist destination while other Nigerian cities are also promoted.
That distinction is important.
Lagos is not simply a nightlife destination. It is Nigeria’s largest commercial centre and a major hub for business, entertainment, fashion, film and the creative industries.
Its concentration of hotels, restaurants, cultural venues and international connections has helped make it a natural entry point for many overseas visitors.
At the same time, Buchi’s broader point about tourism beyond Lagos is not without merit.
Nigeria has a geographically diverse tourism offering, from the cultural heritage and landscapes of the north to the coastal attractions of the south and the distinctive urban character of cities such as Abuja and Ibadan.
The question is therefore less about whether Lagos should be visited and more about whether international tourists are being given enough reasons to travel beyond it.
Buchi’s list reflects that wider tourism argument.
Uyo, Calabar, Jos, Kano, Yola and Bauchi each offer experiences that are different from Lagos, while Abuja provides another distinctly Nigerian urban environment.
Buchi’s comments have nonetheless attracted criticism because of his sweeping description of Lagos.
His claim that there is “nothing” in Lagos apart from what he associated with begging, clubbing and a “fake life” was considerably broader than a simple recommendation to visit other Nigerian cities.
That is the point at which a tourism argument can easily become a culture war.
A city of millions contains contradictions. Lagos can be exhausting and exhilarating, congested and commercially dynamic, chaotic and creative, expensive and full of opportunity at the same time.
Its nightlife, which Buchi presented negatively, is also part of the city’s international appeal.
The entertainment economy has helped establish Lagos as a destination for music, film, fashion and major cultural events, attracting visitors who deliberately seek the energy of its urban environment.
For Akosile, that is precisely why dismissing those features does not amount to an accurate assessment of the city.
His defence also reflects the Lagos government’s broader interest in projecting the state as a global destination rather than merely Nigeria’s commercial capital.
The disagreement therefore goes beyond two individuals trading criticisms online.
It touches on a more important question about how Nigeria markets itself.
Should the country continue relying heavily on Lagos as its international tourism gateway, or should government and tourism authorities invest more aggressively in developing a network of destinations across the federation?
A stronger tourism strategy could do both.
Lagos does not have to become less attractive for Uyo, Calabar, Ibadan or Jos to become more visible.
In fact, the two objectives could reinforce each other if international visitors were encouraged to use Lagos as an entry point before travelling to other regions.
Such an approach would spread tourism spending beyond the country’s best-known commercial centre while allowing Lagos to retain the international profile it has built over decades.
The argument is especially relevant for a country seeking to diversify its economy and strengthen its creative and tourism sectors.
For lesser-known destinations, the challenge is not simply attracting tourists.
They also need reliable transport links, accommodation, security, infrastructure, cultural preservation and consistent international marketing.
A viral argument about where foreigners should or should not visit can generate attention, but sustainable tourism requires much more.
Buchi’s comments have at least succeeded in drawing attention to that imbalance.
His recommendation of cities such as Uyo, Ibadan, Calabar and Jos has prompted renewed discussion about destinations that can offer visitors a different perspective on Nigeria.
Akosile’s response, meanwhile, has reinforced Lagos’s determination to defend its reputation and the lifestyle that has helped make it one of Africa’s most recognisable cities.
There is room for both arguments.
Nigeria is too culturally diverse to be represented by a single city, but Lagos is too influential to be dismissed as an irrelevant or empty part of that national story.
The most constructive outcome would therefore be a tourism conversation that does not require one destination to be diminished before another can be celebrated.
For foreign visitors, the choice need not be Lagos or the rest of Nigeria.
It can be Lagos and the rest of Nigeria.
And perhaps that is the more powerful message for a country with as many distinct cultures, landscapes and histories as Nigeria.
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The latest clash between Akosile and Solomon Buchi may have begun with a sharp disagreement over Lagos, but it has revived a much bigger question: how can Nigeria persuade the world to see the full breadth of what the country has to offer?
