President John Dramani Mahama has said that popular American streamer IShowSpeed ended up promoting Ghana far more than the country could have done on its own.

Speaking at the Ghana–Zambia Business Forum, Mahama highlighted the growing influence of new media and digital creators. He recounted how a young American influencer toured several African countries and made a stop in Ghana.

According to him, during the visit, the influencer was introduced to shea butter, a product Ghana is well known for and one that is widely used in cosmetic products because of its benefits for the skin. Mahama admitted he was surprised to learn that Ghana even has a shea butter museum, which the influencer visited.

While there, the young man reportedly received a shea butter massage from several women, an experience that quickly went viral online. Mahama said that shortly after the visit, internet searches for shea butter skyrocketed, with millions of people wanting to know what it is and what it is used for.

“He did more advertising for us than we could have done ourselves,” Mahama noted. He added that after the influencer left Ghana, there were about 20 million online searches related to the country,  including questions like where Ghana is and what the country is about.

Mahama said this kind of attention presents a huge opportunity for Ghana if properly harnessed. However, he also cautioned that increased digital exposure comes with challenges, particularly in areas such as fintech and cybersecurity, which must be taken seriously.

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Writer: Frederick Nortey