President John Dramani Mahama has highlighted the growing influence of new media, revealing that a recent visit by American internet personality IShowSpeed significantly boosted global interest in Ghana.
Speaking at the Ghana–Zambia Business Forum, President Mahama said the influencer’s visit generated massive online attention for the country, particularly around Ghanaian products such as shea butter.
He explained that after IShowSpeed toured Ghana and visited a shea butter museum, millions of people around the world began searching online for information about Ghana and the uses of shea butter.
“Recently, a young American influencer travelled through several African countries, speaking about the power of new media. He visited Ghana, where he learned about our local shea butter — and I didn’t even know we had a shea butter museum there,” the President said.
He recounted that during the visit, the influencer experienced a shea butter massage performed by about ten women, an experience that quickly captured global attention online.
“After his visit, I was told there were millions of internet searches about what shea butter is and its uses. He promoted our product far better than we could have done ourselves,” President Mahama noted.
He added that following the visit, Ghana recorded about 20 million online searches related to its attractions, underscoring the power of digital platforms in shaping global perception.
“This shows that we can leverage new media to our advantage, though it also comes with its downsides,” he added.
President Mahama’s remarks highlight the increasing role of digital influencers in promoting tourism, culture and local industries, especially in a rapidly evolving global media landscape.
“IshowSpeed did more advertisement for us than we could have done ourselves.—After he left, I was told there were 20 million online searches for Ghana and Shea butter”
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) February 6, 2026
—President John Dramani Mahama on the influence of new media while speaking at the Ghana-Zambia Business Forum. pic.twitter.com/Vfm5DIgdPx
READ ALSO:
