A Nigerian Youtuber, Mr. Tiamiyu apologized on his YouTube channel after telling the BBC that some Nigerians join up for degrees in the UK solely to gain a visa for themselves and their family.
“We’re starting to notice that a lot of people are just hiding behind the studentship.” So the student idea isn’t true; they don’t need the degrees,” Emdee Tiamiyu explained.
Mr. Tiamiyu apologized on YouTube on Wednesday after his statements sparked outrage on social media, with some accusing him of betraying Nigerians.
Nigerian YouTuber Apologises Over UK Migration Comments
“I am sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused you,” Mr Tiamiyu said.
He added he regretted the “pain” he had caused, and that he also said positive things about Nigerians in the interview.
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His intention for granting the interview was to “highlight some of the challenges” Nigerians face at home and in the UK, and that he would never have agreed to an interview that he felt “put Nigeria to shame”.
He also said he didn’t know how he will “get over” the backlash.
Mr Tiamiyu’s comments come as the UK government restricts visas for family members of some foreign students.
The reaction to Mr Tiamiyu’s apology has not been universally warm online, with some calling his video “worthless”.
Source: BBC