Social Media Knocks, Backlashes Greet UK-Based Nigeria Over Eating Pounded Yam with Bare Hands on London Bridge

By: Olufemi Orunsola 

A staccato of knocks and backlashes have poured out from netizens against a UK-based Nigerian content creator who attempted to give expression to his cultural leaning by eating an African delicacy( Pounded yam and soup) with bare hands while standing on London Bridge.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that the video after going viral attracted an outpouring of criticisms and backlash, as many Nigerians in the diaspora simply described the act as inappropriate for a public setting.

In the video, the man is seen calmly moulding and gulping the meal against the backdrop of the city skyline while showing his cultural pride in the African practice of eating swallow foods with bare hands.

However, his attempt at cultural expression quickly drew backlash, as many Nigerians in the diaspora described the act as inappropriate for a public setting.

One X user, Sikowitz17, wrote, “Something you cannot do in Oshodi, you’ll bring here. It’s unhygienic, stupid, and doesn’t make any sense.”

The backlash was swift, with several commenters arguing that the stunt reinforced negative stereotypes already used against Africans abroad. 

Similarly, others questioned whether cultural pride should extend to behaviours that may be viewed as indecent or unhygienic in public settings.

The debate has reignited a long-running conversation within the Nigerian diaspora about boundaries, public etiquettes, and how representation plays out in global spaces.