Afrobeats star and entrepreneur Oluwatosin Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, has revealed that touring across Africa remains more challenging than touring Europe and the United States.
Speaking at the Africa Prosperity Dialogue themed “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market,” the singer pointed to restrictive border policies and systemic friction as major obstacles for African creatives and entrepreneurs.
“In the first six years of my rise, particularly the first two years of me blowing up, it was easier to tour America and Europe than it was to tour Africa… once I had the number one song in Africa, touring here became even harder.”
Despite his widespread success across the continent, Mr Eazi said logistical challenges continue to hinder movement and growth for African artists.
He recalled a frustrating experience at the Kenyan border while heading to a paid performance:
“My band, which included members of other nationalities, were allowed to enter, but I — the lead artist who was being paid the most — had to wait.”
According to him, such situations reflect deeper systemic problems.
“That incident speaks to the reality of the friction that is being put in place — friction that stops us from uniting, stops us from being stronger, and prevents us from developing.”
As an entrepreneur who funds companies in 19 African countries, Mr Eazi stressed the need to fully implement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“Borders as they currently function create friction in movements, in payments, in regulation and in the abilities of small and medium-scale enterprises to scale.”
He clarified that his call for open borders is rooted in economic efficiency, not political erasure.
“We are not speaking about removing nations or weakening sovereignty. We are speaking of enabling the commitments already made.”
Mr Eazi concluded with a generational perspective:
“The young people under the age of 35, we actually don’t care about borders. When Africa moves together, we do not lose strength. We multiply it.”
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