Reality TV star and influencer Tacha Akide, widely known as Tacha, recently shared her frustration regarding her experiences with Nigerians in the United Kingdom. In a candid post on her social media, she opened up about feeling snubbed by her fellow compatriots, despite her celebrity status.
Tacha, who had been in the UK for personal and professional engagements, explained that she was often complimented by white individuals who acknowledged her appearance and style. However, she noticed that many Nigerians would merely record her without engaging or greeting her directly. She found this behavior disheartening and decided to address it openly.
In her words, “You carry Naija mentality enter UK; you are recording me, but you won’t say hi. White people are complimenting me, saying, ‘Oh, your outfit is beautiful,’ but you Nigerians—you would rather record me. If you don’t greet me, don’t record me, please.” Her remarks shed light on what she perceives as a cultural attitude that needs to change, even outside of Nigeria.
One Twitter user wrote, “Tacha is right. We need to do better when interacting with people, regardless of their status. A simple ‘hello’ goes a long way.”
Others, however, felt her expectations may have been too high, arguing that people have their own reasons for choosing not to engage directly. “It’s the UK; people are minding their business. It’s not personal,” commented one critic.