Davido defends wearing pins for abducted pupils at World Cup event

Grammy-nominated Afrobeats artist David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, has defended his decision to wear pins bearing the names of 39 abducted children and seven teachers during his performance at a 2026 FIFA World Cup event. He asserted that Nigeria's international image should never overshadow the safety and plight of innocent children.

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A lot of people don't really want to talk about what goes on in my country simply because they want to protect the image, but there's no image to protect if little kids are being kidnapped.

In an interview with Focus on Africa host Waihiga Mwaura, Davido explained that he utilized his global platform to draw attention to the victims because they remain missing. "A lot of people don't really want to talk about what goes on in my country simply because they want to protect the image, but there's no image to protect if little kids are being kidnapped," he stated.

Davido acknowledged the honor of performing at the World Cup but stressed the equal importance of highlighting the security challenges facing Nigeria. "As much as I was happy to do the World Cup, we also have to understand that there are things going on back home in our country, which we have the power to let the world know through our own means," he said.

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As much as I was happy to do the World Cup, we also have to understand that there are things going on back home in our country, which we have the power to let the world know through our own means.

He further elaborated that music and live performances serve as his primary platform for amplifying issues affecting Nigerians. "When I say our own means, where's my power? My power is in music, performances. We have these students that have been missing, still not found. So yeah, I use my platform to project what's really going on," Davido added. The singer's stance prioritizes raising awareness about the ongoing security concerns in his home country over maintaining a purely positive international image.

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When I say our own means, where's my power? My power is in music, performances. We have these students that have been missing, still not found. So yeah, I use my platform to project what's really going on.