Renowned Nigerian travel videographer Tayo Aina disclosed his reason for investing an astonishing $150,000 in obtaining a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport.
During his appearance on the podcast, ‘Am I too loud?’, he shared that after being refused a visa on two occasions while attempting to attend a prominent creators’ conference in Dubai—despite having previously traveled to the emirate—he decided to make the change.
“I was invited to speak alongside influential creators like Casey Neistat at the NAS Summit. I had been to Dubai twice previously, but they denied me twice — solely because I was Nigerian,” he stated. Tayo Aina expressed that this wasn’t his first brush with travel limitations. Even across Africa, he encountered harassment and unwarranted interrogation due to his Nigerian passport.
“I’ve encountered problems in Ethiopia, South Africa… they’ve either confiscated my passport or refused me entry. But that experience in Dubai shattered me,” he confessed.For Tayo, the missed global opportunity was the tipping point. It was at that moment he resolved to purchase his freedom.“ That day I promised myself — never again.
My ultimate objective in life is freedom. The freedom to be wherever I please, whenever I wish, with whomever I choose,” he elaborated. This quest led him to accumulate $150,000 and obtain citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis, known globally for being one of the most coveted second passports that grants visa-free access to over 150 nations.
“I simply saved up and procured the passport. That choice transformed everything for me,” Tayo recalled.