A French-Lebanese lady who was born and raised in Nigeria has gone viral after delivering a fiery response to online critics who accused her of exploiting her Nigerian upbringing to gain clout and attention on social media.
The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, has lived most of her life in Lagos and speaks fluent Nigerian pidgin. She recently identified herself as being “from Nigeria,” a declaration that sparked heated debates online. While many applauded her for embracing the culture that shaped her, others claimed she was using Nigeria as a convenient label for internet popularity.
Her statement drew criticism from a section of social media users, with one commenter writing: “That woman is just a European who happened to live in Nigeria—someone explain this to me.”
Not one to let the backlash slide, she responded in a video, switching between English and pidgin as she lashed out at those questioning her identity. She reminded them that being raised in Nigeria gave her the right to proudly associate with the country.
Her fiery response to critics
“E be like say you people dey mad, una dey craze for head,” she said, visibly upset. “Is that not what I said? I said I am a white French-Lebanese but they raised me in Naija since I be pikin. I cannot be from somewhere again?
“Even Nigerians in America dey claim Houston, Texas, but me wey grow up in Lagos no fit talk say I be Nigerian again?” she fumed.
She added that her critics were being hypocritical by rejecting her identity while Nigerians abroad freely claim foreign countries as their own.
Mixed reactions from Nigerians
The incident has sparked a storm of reactions across X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms. While some people supported her right to claim Nigerian identity, others insisted that culture and upbringing should not override nationality by blood.
Wizarab10 argued: “This thing Nigerians do irritates me. A Nigerian raised in London or Atlanta will start claiming to be Brit or American. But when a foreigner raised in Nigeria does the same, you criticize them. Migration happens both ways. You need to wake up.”
mind_talkss noted: “You are talking to a people that contest elections abroad but will run mad if a foreigner contests in their country. Nigerians can be the most tribalistic/racist set of people without realizing it. This one na Nigerian, abeg give her citizenship 😂😂.”
UC_Emeliem pointed out: “Most people are not angry that she identified as Nigerian, the issue is that she mentioned Lagos. If she had claimed another part of Nigeria, the reception would have been different.”
Amaafrikaa added: “Belonging is not just about bloodline; it’s about where you live, grow, and connect. If Nigerians abroad boldly claim British or American, then she has every right to claim Nigerian.”
desrtquin concluded: “We like to excel abroad, even rule where possible, but back home we don’t give such opportunities to foreigners born and bred here. The hypocrisy stinks.”
The viral video continues to spark heated debate, with many agreeing that cultural belonging often runs deeper than just heritage or citizenship. For her part, the lady has stood firm, declaring that Nigeria is part of who she is and nothing will change that.
Watch the video below …
This thing Nigerians do irritates me. A Nigerian would be raised in London or Atlanta and start claiming to be Brit or American. But when a foreigner raised in Nigeria does the same, you find a way to talk down on them.
Migration happens both ways. You need to wake up pic.twitter.com/dotekIBIdv
— Sir Dickson (@Wizarab10) September 21, 2025