Key government officials have outlined the logistical and security support provided to American streaming sensation, IshowSpeed, during his widely publicized visit to Ghana, clarifying the state’s role in facilitating the influencer’s tour.
In an interview on Okay FM, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, widely known as Abeiku Santana and Deputy Chief Executive of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), stated that while the GTA did not plan the streamer’s itinerary, multiple agencies stepped in to assist.
“What we rather did was to provide visa on arrival for him and his crew, we also helped them to get clearance on their equipment from Customs, and then we went to national security and IGP to offer their services to them,” Santana explained.
He further noted that access to the Asenema Waterfalls was arranged with the help of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie.
According to Santana, IShowSpeed’s team was in constant communication with the Authority before and during the visit, relying on it for coordinated support.
Adding to the details, Kofi Okyere Darko, Director of Diaspora Affairs, told Myjoyonline.com that his office facilitated a helicopter for the streamer’s return journey from Akropong-Akuapem to Accra to ease travel logistics.
However, Santana firmly dismissed any involvement in one of the visit’s most viral moments: the jollof rice tasting.
“GTA is not responsible for his plan so I don’t know who cooked the Jollof,” he said, referencing the session where Speed controversially declared Nigeria’s jollof the winner.
IShowSpeed, a global online phenomenon with millions of followers, used his Ghana tour to showcase cultural sites, food, and experiences to his vast digital audience.
His itinerary included visits to the Asenema Waterfalls, the palace at Akropong-Akuapem where he was enstooled and given the Ghanaian name Barima Kofi Akuffo, Black Star Square, Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, boxing activities in Bukom, and the Shea Butter Museum of entrepreneur Hammamat Montia.
The visit underscores the growing intersection between digital influencer culture and national tourism promotion, highlighting the informal yet structured support governments may extend to high-profile online creators.