Afrobeats superstar Davido has explained the message behind the “Bring Them Home” jacket he wore during his FIFA World Cup performance, saying he wanted to draw international attention to the kidnapping of children in Nigeria rather than help maintain what he described as a false image of the country.
Speaking on the BBC’s Focus on Africa podcast, the Afrobeats star pushed back against the idea that public figures should avoid discussing Nigeria’s problems for fear of damaging the nation’s reputation.
“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,” he said.
“But there’s no image to protect if little kids are being kidnapped.”
Recall, during a high-profile countdown concert for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Davido took the stage wearing a customised leather jacket featuring the names of recently abducted schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State.
The back of the jacket carried a clear message: “BRING THEM HOME.”
The singer said he saw the World Cup not only as an opportunity to perform before a global audience, but also as a chance to highlight issues affecting people back home.
“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.
For Davido, those means are obvious.
“When I say our own means, where’s my power? My power is in music and performances.”
The award-winning artist said concerns about missing students influenced the message he chose to wear on stage.
“We have these students who have been missing, still not found. So yeah, I use my platform to project what’s really going on.”
