Afrobeats star Oluwatosin Ajibade, popularly known as Mr Eazi, has revealed that touring Europe and the United States was easier than touring Africa during the early stages of his music career, citing border restrictions, regulatory bottlenecks and weak cross-border coordination across the continent.

Speaking at the 2026 Africa Prosperity Dialogue, Mr Eazi said the challenges African artists face when moving across borders mirror the broader difficulties confronting African businesses and small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).

The event, aired by Joy News, was held under the theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate, Trade.”

Reflecting on his dual career in music and entrepreneurship, Mr Eazi said his experiences revealed systemic issues affecting Africa’s single market.

“In the last ten years, I have spent six years as a singer touring the world and four years doing a lot of entrepreneurship. Two things stand out to me,” he said.

According to the ‘Leg Over’ crooner, touring within Africa was significantly harder than performing in Europe and the US, even at the height of his popularity.

“In the first six years of my rise, particularly the first two years of me blowing up, it was easier to tour America and Europe than it was to tour Africa,” he said.

“Ironically, once I had the number one song in Africa, touring here became even harder.”
Mr Eazi recounted an incident at the Kenyan border, where he was denied entry despite being paid to perform.

“I remember going into Kenya with my band. Even though I had been paid to perform, I was stopped at the border,” he said.

“My band members, who were of other nationalities, were allowed to enter, but I — the lead artist — had to wait.”

He said the experience underscored the friction created by Africa’s current border systems, which limit movement, collaboration and economic growth.

“That incident speaks to the reality of the friction that stops us from uniting, stops us from being stronger, and prevents us from developing,” he added.

Mr Eazi stressed that Africa must move beyond policy declarations to full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“Borders as they currently function create friction in movement, payments, regulation and the ability of SMEs to scale across Africa,” he said.

Drawing from his business ventures, the singer-turned-entrepreneur revealed that he has invested in companies operating in 19 African countries, including a firm that processes over four million transactions daily.

He noted that young Africans are disproportionately affected by cross-border restrictions.

“Young people under the age of 35 don’t really care about borders,” he said, adding that collaboration now happens through digital platforms, cross-border trade, creativity and online businesses.

While acknowledging that frameworks like AfCFTA already exist, Mr Eazi said execution remains Africa’s biggest challenge.

“What remains is the important work of implementation,” he said.

He clarified that improving mobility across Africa does not threaten national sovereignty.

“We are not talking about removing nations or weakening sovereignty. We are talking about enabling commitments already made and allowing people to move, trade and build within Africa legally and securely,” he said.

Mr Eazi concluded by urging African leaders to remove barriers holding the continent back, noting that stronger connectivity would produce continental business champions.

“A more connected Africa is how SMEs grow into continental champions,” he said.

“When Africa moves together, we do not lose strength — we multiply it. If Africa becomes borderless, Africa becomes unstoppable.”