Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has defended his decision to wear a customised jacket bearing the names of abducted pupils and teachers during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Countdown Concert, saying he used the global stage to draw attention to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
Davido made the remarks in an interview published by BBC Focus on Africa on Sunday, July 5, 2026, where he explained that the plight of the victims was more important than concerns about the country’s international image.
The singer had performed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Countdown Concert on Monday, June 10, 2026, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, United States, wearing a black jacket bearing the names of 39 abducted pupils and seven teachers kidnapped from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The jacket also carried the inscription, “Bring Them Home.”
Explaining his decision, Adeleke said silence was not an option while innocent children remained in captivity.
“A lot of people don’t really want to talk about what goes on in my country simply because they want to protect the image, but there’s no image to protect if little kids are being kidnapped.”
He said he deliberately used his performance at the international event to amplify the voices of the missing children and teachers.
“As much as I was happy to do the World Cup, we also have to understand that there are things going on back home in our country, which we have the power to let the world know through our own means.”
According to Adeleke, his influence as a musician gives him a responsibility to speak on issues affecting Nigerians.
“When I say our own means, where’s my power? My power is in music, performances.”
” We have these students that have been missing, still not found.”
“So yeah, I use my platform to project what’s really going on.”
The gesture attracted widespread attention in Nigeria and abroad, with many commending the singer for using an international platform to highlight the plight of the abducted schoolchildren, while others questioned whether such issues should be raised during a global sporting event.
Davido maintained that drawing global attention to the missing pupils was a moral responsibility, insisting that protecting the lives of children should take precedence over concerns about preserving Nigeria’s image abroad.