Sanwo-Olu says showing off cash online can invite street touts, as Rema explains his quiet style

Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said people who post large amounts of cash on social media can end up being pestered on the street by touts who want part of it.

He spoke on Thursday at the Financial Times Africa Summit in London, joining the event virtually from Lagos, while answering questions about harassment of residents and visitors by hoodlums and touts.

According to the governor, some influencers and other users openly show off money, which draws attention from people who feel they deserve a share.

He said such people are later stopped on the street with demands along the lines of: "we saw you yesterday posting that you have N10 million cash, give us out of it."

Sanwo-Olu stressed that no one deserves to be harassed over what they post. Still, he urged restraint, saying public display of wealth can also put pressure on the person's family, with people questioning where the money came from.

What the state is doing about touts

The governor said his administration is tackling street harassment on several fronts: vocational training, social support, mental health care and removing people involved in crime from the streets.

He said vulnerable people are being taken off the streets and given chances to learn trades, and that some had returned to Lagos from other parts of the country.

His government also plans a Lagos resident identity system to record who lives in the state, where they are and what they do. Sanwo-Olu said the data would help the state know what skills or trades residents want support with.

He said the state must separate people who are on the streets because of joblessness from those involved in criminal conduct, adding that the answer has to be many-sided.

"For the ones that are criminal, let's also be able to deal with it," he said, describing the approach as a multi-part solution.

He also said Lagos is building what he called the largest mental health facility, to care for people who need support and to help with challenges linked to vulnerable people living on the streets.

Rema: I keep my wealth off social media

In a separate interview, Afrobeats singer Divine Ikubor, known as Rema, said he deliberately avoids displaying his wealth and achievements online.

The 26-year-old said many young people look up to him, and he does not want them to feel behind or rushed because of what he shows.

He said people sometimes tell him not to worry about how his lifestyle affects others, but he still thinks some would read it wrongly.

Rema said he worries about young people under pressure, noting that parents also compare children and push them into courses they do not want in the hope of good-paying jobs.

He said he prefers to keep things simple and leans towards streetwear, adding that his chains and watches may be the only truly lavish part of his life.

The reports of his comments differ on where the interview aired, with one outlet citing the Lowkey Deep podcast and another citing Jam FM.