Nigerian filmmaker Tayo Aina has revealed he spent $150,000 to secure a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport.
He said the move followed repeated visa denials that restricted his global travel freedom.
Popular Nigerian travel filmmaker Tayo Aina has explained why he spent $150,000 to acquire a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport.
Speaking on the podcast Am I Too Loud?, Aina said the decision came after he was denied a visa twice while trying to attend the NAS Summit in Dubai, where he was invited to speak alongside global creators like Casey Neistat.
“I’d been to Dubai twice before, but they denied me twice, just because I was Nigerian,” he said.
The YouTuber added that it wasn’t his first encounter with travel challenges, revealing that he had also faced harassment and unnecessary questioning in several African countries, including Ethiopia and South Africa. “I’ve had issues in Ethiopia, South Africa… they’ve either held my passport or denied me entry. But that Dubai experience broke me,” he said.
According to Aina, missing that global opportunity made him realize how much his nationality restricted his freedom. “That day I told myself, never again. My biggest goal in life is freedom. Freedom to be wherever I want, whenever I want, with whoever I want,” he explained.
Determined to gain that freedom, Aina saved up and bought a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, which grants visa-free access to over 150 countries.
“I just saved up and bought the passport. That decision changed everything for me,” he added.
