Why authorities issue popular streamer IshowSpeed wit Ghanaian passport afta 20-nation Africa tour

    • Author, Komla Adom
    • Role, Senior Journalist, BBC Pidgin
    • Reporting from, Accra
  • Read am in 7 mins

Ghana authorities confam say dem go issue popular American streamer IshowSpeed wit Ghanaian passport.

Dis announcement by di foreign affairs ministry happun hours afta di streamer (real name Darren Jason Watkins Junior) finish im Africa tour wen e visit 20 kontris.

IShowSpeed end di tour for Namibia afta e stream for Ghana for five hours on Monday 26 January 2026.

During di Ghana stream, e tok say e go return to buy house and oda property for di kontri.

"I go miss Africa afta dis tour, but I go buy house for Ghana. E go be good asset say you go buy house for here," IShowSpeed tok during di stream afta e spend some time for di Asenema waterfall for di Eastern region of di kontri.

Many pipo say di five-hour stream open dia eyes to di culture, tourism, hospitality, art and di pipo.

Di 21-year-old streamer tok say e get family wey be from Ghana, so e dey happy to "return home" for dis visit.

"I get family wey be Ghanaian. My mama side get Ghana roots, my mama be Ghanaian so I dey happy to stream for dis kontri.

Foreign affairs minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa write for social media say "following discussions and confirmation of di fact say IShowSpeed get convincing ties to Ghana, I dey happy to announce say di ministry approve say make we issue Ghana passport give am."

Di minister also celebrate anoda Ghanaian Youtuber and travel blogger Wodemaya – wey be part of di team wey carry IShowSpeed move around some of di cultural and tourism places of di kontri during di stream.

"Make you (IShowSpeed and Wodemaya) continue to make Ghana and Africa proud."

Di foreign minister add say "Ghana dey celebrate di two of you - you be our ambassadors, dat be why we grant you (Wodemaya), diplomatic passport last year."

Wetin e mean for pesin to get Ghana passport

If authorities give pesin Ghana passport, e mean say di pesin be registered citizen of Ghana, wey dey recognised by govment either by birth, naturalisation, registration or adoption.

Di passport be di basic legal document for international travel and identification.

Ghana citizen wey dey hold valid passport no dey need visa to enta di kontri from anywia around di world.

Di pesin also no go need visa to travel from di kontri to at least 66 kontris.

Wit di confirmation say IShowSpeed get roots for Ghana, di passport mean say e fit get access to di kontri at any time.

IShowSpeed show Ghana culture, tourism and art to di world

Many pipo dey tok about di experience wey IShowSpeed get for Ghana during im visit.

In fact, di streamer imsef tok say e enjoy di time for di kontri.

"I love Ghana," Speed tok.

During di stream, di chiefs and elders of Akuapen Akropong for di Eastern region give am Ghanaian name.

Di chief of di area, Oseadeeyo Kwasi Akuffo III for di naming ceremony, give IShowSpeed di name Barima Kofi Akuffo – e name am afta im grandpapa.

Dem also decorate am wit gold jewellery and di rich kente cloth from Ghana wey be di symbol of royalty.

Di streamer engage for di cultural drumming, dancing and activities bifor e use helicopter fly to di city for Accra to experience di energy and vibes.

Afta di activities for di kontri independence square wia e chop Ghana jollof (e tok say di Ghana jollof and di Nigeria one be di same but e go choose di Nigeria one).

E also visit di memorial park of Ghana first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah wia dem tell am di history of di man and im role for di independence of Ghana.

IShowSpeed take fotos under di iconic statue of Dr Nkrumah for di memorial park.

Later e visit di rich Jamestown community wey produce 10 boxing champions for Ghana, wey e participate for one boxing match wit local boxers wey e jam wit di locals.

Di climax of di stream for Ghana carry am go di shea butter museum wey former beauty queen Hamamat Montia dey operate for Accra.

Ova dia, dem show di streamer wetin shea butter be, how dem dey make am and wetin dem fit use am for.

Hamamat tok am say "dis shea butter from Ghana be cosmetic wey e also be medicine. We dey mix some of di shea butter wit herbs wey dey sooth di body and keep di skin fresh."

"We also dey use di shea butter cook and eat some," Hamamat tok IShowSpeed, wey shock well well.

"E dey taste like butter," IShowSpeed tok afta e put some of di shea butter for mouth.

About 12 ladies carry di shea butter massage am well well, for several minutes bifor e finish di stream.

Even for some Ghanaians, dem say dem neva know say somtin like shea butter museum dey for Accra.

Di Ghana tourism authority CEO say "IShowSpeed im visit to Ghana show di power of culture and digital influence in real time."

Maame Efua Houadjeto add say, "Dis be di new face of tourism wey be authentic, youth-driven and global; Ghana dey ready."

IshowSpeed visit 20 kontris for dis tour

IShowSpeed end dis tour for Namibia on 27 January 2026.

Di end of di one-month tour of di kontris for Africa.

Speed say e decide to stream dis Africa tour to "show di world wetin Africa be like."

For many years, some pipo outside Africa dey see di continent say e be place of poverty and bad pipo.

But di 21-year-old say e wan change dat narrative dat be why e carry im team and equipment to begin di tour of 20 kontris.

E visit Nigeria, Kenya, Liberia, Botswana, Eswatini, Egypt, Ethiopia Senegal, among odas.

Oda places e visit be Ivory Coast, Benin, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Angola, and Mozambique.

E also visit South Africa and Rwanda and Morocco during di just-ended Afcon

Bifor e end di stream for di final kontri (Namibia), IShowSpeed wey become emotional tok say "dis tour be amazing all ova. I make happy say I do dis tour".

"I make happy say I come experience Africa for mysef - dis tour go change my life for di beta."

IShowSpeed also add say "dis tour open my eyes wey e spark somtin deep inside me. Dis be comeback to di motherland, to stream 20 kontris in 28 days be miraculous."

"I tank evribodi wey watch di tour wit me, I meet many pipo and evri kontri show me love. I feel di love evriwia."

Di streamer announce day e go return to Africa for anoda round of di tour - dis time e go set up fundraiser wey go support organisations and groups for di kontris e go visit.

Bifor di camera off, IShowSpeed confam say "I be 100% African".

Some fotos from IShowSpeed Ghana visit