American online streamer, Darren Jason Watkins Jr., popularly known as iShowSpeed, set social media alight on Wednesday after livestreaming his first full day in Lagos, Nigeria, drawing massive crowds, raw street encounters and a string of viral moments that quickly dominated online conversations across Africa and beyond.
The 21-year-old YouTuber arrived in Lagos as part of his ongoing Africa tour and began broadcasting almost immediately as his convoy moved through parts of the city.
Wearing a Nigerian football jersey and standing through the sunroof of a moving vehicle, Speed’s presence quickly attracted residents, traders and passersby, many of whom ran after his convoy while shouting, waving and filming on their phones.
iShowSpeed’s Africa tour, titled Speed Does Africa, officially began on December 29, 2025, and is scheduled to span 28 days across 20 countries.
The tour kicked off in Angola and includes stops in Nigeria, South Africa and Eswatini, among others. The entire journey is being broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch, with a focus on cultural immersion, public interactions and fan engagement.
IShowSpeed began his Lagos visit at the bustling Balogun Market in the Lagos Island district, where crowds heckled him and asked for money.
“What are they saying? It’s like they’re speaking English, but a different kind of English,” the influencer, surrounded by bodyguards, remarked as he quickly left the market.
Barely minutes into the stream, Speed was ushered into a nearby shop for safety as crowds pressed dangerously close and local figures, described as ‘area boys or agberos’ demanded payments for allowing filming.
As the day unfolded, a string of unscripted moments went viral.
Schoolchildren encircled him on the street, bursting into a heartfelt rendition of “Happy Birthday,” visibly moving the streamer on his actual birthday.
In lighter exchanges, Speed asked a passerby who failed to recognise him, “Do I look Nigerian?”
He sampled jollof rice at Freedom Park and declared it the best, fueling the perennial West African rice debate.
He attempted local dance moves among skaters and performers, and toured the Nike Art Gallery in traditional Yoruba attire after a warm cultural welcome
Local TikTok and Kick streamer Habeeb Hamzat popularly known as Peller made repeated, high-profile efforts to link up, including chasing the convoy on foot and horseback, pleading, “Please, I’m a streamer. I’m big. I have suffered because of you.”
The repeated attempts and Speed’s silence generated widespread online debate.
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Skit maker Egungun of Lagos secured a brief chat, complimenting Speed’s physique and probing the origins of his “wooo wooo” outbursts.
Afrobeats artist Zlatan Ibile surprised him with a birthday cake at the ZTTW store and Speed called it his first-ever.
Davido joined via FaceTime from Paris, with Speed declaring, “Nigeria has been amazing. I am here for another day.”
TikTok creator Jarvis appeared in her signature robot persona at a nighttime birthday gathering.
The day’s defining peak arrived mid-stream as Speed’s YouTube channel crossed 50 million subscribers live from Lagos traffic.
Standing atop a car surrounded by fans and cake in hand, he became the first Black individual creator to reach the milestone.
Fellow YouTuber MrBeast congratulated him publicly, noting the achievement placed him “halfway” to the top.
Smaller gestures added warmth as he handed cash to a woman and her child, arranging a family video call to show a local man resembling his brother, and genuine awe at the city’s energy.
By the end of the marathon broadcast, iShowSpeed’s Lagos debut had dominated global online discourse, blending cultural immersion, fan frenzy, security challenges, and milestone triumph.