Several high-follower mini-blog accounts on X circulated a claim that Nigeria had become the first country to ban white and British models in all advertising. The original post was shared on February 24, 2026, by a page on X seen to be curating daily content for its over 420,000 followers.
The post reads, “Nigeria becomes the first country to ban white & British models in all advertising. ‘We have 200M beautiful people here.. we will use our own.”
As at the time of writing this report, the claim had generated over 1.2 million views, over 46,000 likes, over 5,000 reshares, and thousands of comments.
A screenshot of the post, later reshared by another X account, @Iamyesyouareno, with over 480,000 followers, garnered more than 12 million views.
The post got even more engagement through the account of some prominent individuals, including Elon Musk, the owner of the micro-blogging platform.
This led to mixed reactions from X users outside Nigeria.
Reactions To The Claim
ROUNDCHECK read through hundreds of the reposts, comments, and quotes- and one thing was obvious. Some non-Nigerians somewhat believed it, while some Nigerians doubted it.
Some framed the claim as proof of reverse racism, while some users did not believe the purported plan of Nigeria banning white and British models.
One user with the name Ronmaris wrote: “Elon loves to bring attention to lies and anything racist. Whatever brings controversy is what Elon promotes. Such a shitty guy”.
Another user Abazwhyllzz said: “Please sir this is a lie,you can confirm from grok Nigeria still uses white and British models for their advertisements.”
More of these divergent views and reactions are what made this claim viral, and still landed on the page of Elon Musk.
The reactions to the claim were largely fueled in part by a quote reposted by Musk.
On closer inspection, the claim that Nigeria has banned “white and British models” needed clarification, so we dug deeper to ascertain the fact.
ROUNDCHECK Findings
ROUNDCHECK conducted a keyword search on the claim if Nigeria truly banned white and British models.
We found some old reports from reliable news outlets detailing an announcement by the Nigerian government to ban the use of foreign models in Nigerian advertisements.
In our research, we found a 2022 document attributed to the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON). ARCON is the statutory body overseeing advertising and marketing communications in Nigeria.
The document was dated 22 August, 2022, containing an announcement that foreign models are prohibited in certain Nigerian-focused ads.
The said document was clearly titled ‘BAN ON THE USE OF FOREIGN MODELS AND VOICE-OVER ARTISTS ON THE NIGERIAN ADVERTISING MEDIUM/MEDIA’.
In the directive, signed by the then ARCON Director General, Olalekan Fadolapo, it was announced that, effective October 1, 2022, foreign models and voice-over artists would no longer be permitted in advertisements targeting the Nigerian market.
The directive stated that the measure was in line with the Federal Government’s policy of developing local talent and promoting inclusive economic growth within the Nigerian advertising industry.
“All advertisements, advertising and marketing communications materials are to make use of only Nigerian models and voice-over artists.”
“Ongoing campaigns are permitted to run out their terms, however, subsequent applications for revalidation for continued exposure of such materials will not be granted by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP).”
Different international media organisations reported the announcement at that time, including BBC, NPR, AlJazeera.
Conclusion
The claim is PARTIALLY TRUE. ROUNDCHECK can confirm that Nigeria indeed banned foreign models from advertisements. However, it was not race-specific, nor did it single out ‘British or whites’.
The second part of the claim was that Nigeria is the ‘first country’ to ban ‘British or Whites’ models. There is no available data on countries that have banned foreign models from their advertising space.
]]>The 73rd Miss Universe pageant set to be held on the global stage in Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 16, 2024, will host 19 inspiring contestants from across Africa.
This year’s contestants are not only beautiful but also exceptional in their fields, each bringing their unique cultures, talents, and advocacies to the global spotlight, from gender equality and healthcare to environmental conservation and cultural inclusivity.
Here is a closer look at these remarkable women representing the heart and diversity of Africa.
Angola
Nelma Tchissola Ferreira, a 26-year-old management and company administration graduate, is a dedicated volunteer with a vision for gender equality and reducing hunger. She previously competed in Miss World 2018 and hopes to revive Angola’s presence at Miss Universe, following Leila Lopes’ win in 2011.
Botswana
Dr. Thanolo Keutlwile a 28-year-old medical doctor and general practitioner focusing on women’s health.
She is also involved in humanitarian and philanthropic work. Inspired by Mpule Kwelagobe’s 1999 Miss Universe win, Thanolo aims to carry forward Botswana’s legacy.
Cameroon
Raïssa Noura Njikam was Crowned Miss Cameroon 2024. Noura is passionate about art and culture and advocates against violence toward women.
She won the People’s Choice Award with a large number of online votes.
Côte d’Ivoire
Marie-Emmanuelle Diamala is representing Ivory Coast for only the second time in history, Marie-Emmanuelle, a 20-year-old, is devoted to environmental conservation and community development.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ilda Amani is a menstrual health advocate from South Kivu, Ilda, with a background in business administration, champions peace and women’s empowerment in her conflict-stricken homeland.
Egypt
Logina Salah, a multifaceted woman, Logina is a finance graduate, mother, model, and vitiligo advocate.
She is poised to represent Egypt, bringing her skills as a makeup artist and TV presenter to the global stage.
Equatorial Guinea
Diana Dashaira Mouhafo, a 24-year-old commerce and marketing graduate, Diana is a mother and the first representative of Equatorial Guinea at Miss Universe. She hopes to achieve her country’s first semifinal placement.
Eritrea
Snit Tewoldemedhin, representing Eritrea’s debut at Miss Universe. Snit is a neuroscience graduate and advocate for children’s education, inspired by her sister with down syndrome and her late mother.
Guinea
Nene Mariama Saran Bah is represented as the first Miss Universe Guinea. Saran, a humanitarian through her NGO, previously placed in the top 40 at Miss World 2021/22. She focuses on supporting disadvantaged children.
Kenya
Irene Ng’endo Mukii is a software engineer and youth empowerment advocate, Irene combines her skills as a dancer, teacher, and entrepreneur to inspire young people. She previously won Miss Africa 2019.
Mauritius
Vishakha Tania René, a 28-year-old IT project manager and climate advocate, Tania promotes zero-waste initiatives in Mauritius. Fluent in four languages, she is passionate about anime and Japanese culture.
Namibia
Prisca Anyolo is a journalist and entrepreneur, Prisca owns Elysian Beauty Parlour and supports young women through job creation. She aims to secure Namibia’s first back-to-back semifinalist spot.
Nigeria
Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina, a law student and advocate for diversity and inclusion, Chidimma withdrew from Miss South Africa due to citizenship issues but now represents Nigeria. She founded SUEI to promote inclusivity.
Senegal
Fatou Bintou Gueye was originally the first runner-up at Miss Senegal. Fatou marks Senegal’s fourth participation in Miss Universe, with a mission to elevate her country’s standing on the international stage.
Somalia
Khadija Omar, a beauty influencer and founder of K Amani. Khadija is the first hijabi to represent Somalia. Born in a Kenyan refugee camp, she advocates for inclusivity and empowerment.
South Africa
Mia le Roux is the first ‘deaf woman’ to wear the Miss Universe South Africa crown. Mia uses a cochlear implant and aims to add to South Africa’s three previous Miss Universe wins.
Tanzania
Judith Peter Ngusa is a fashion model, actress, and health advocate, Judith, the first mother to represent Tanzania, has previously competed in Miss United Nations and is a champion for postpartum health.
Zambia
Brandina Lubuli, an advocate for women’s rights, Brandina is a philanthropist and science lab technologist. Zambia returns to Miss Universe after a hiatus, and she is the first married woman to represent her country.
Zimbabwe
Sakhile Dube is a healthcare advocate and fashion designer, Sakhile aims to enhance access to quality medical services and youth empowerment through employment opportunities.
As these African ambassadors prepare to grace the Miss Universe stage, they embody not just national pride but also the aspirations of their communities.
Their participation marks a transformative shift in beauty standards and highlights the importance of global conversations around inclusivity and empowerment.
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ROUNDCHECK can authoritatively report that Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci has now been awarded a Guinness World Record certificate for her feat in the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
Hilda’s cook-a-thon journey began on Thursday, May 11, 2023, and continued for four days, culminating on Monday, May 15, 2023.
However, after a thorough review of the evidences provided by the chef, the Guinness World Records team officially recognized Hilda Baci for breaking the record for the longest cooking marathon (individual) and awarded her a certificate, confirming her achievement.
Hilda aimed to meet the target for a record-breaking time of 100 hours; however, her final total was calculated at 93 hours and 11 minutes.
Seven hours were deducted from Hilda’s overall duration due to the wrong timing during one of her early rest breaks.
The rule governing the “longest marathon (individual)” records, afforded Hilda a five-minute rest break for every continuous hour of activity. These breaks were her only opportunities to rest, use the bathroom, or sleep during the demanding cooking marathon.
Guinness World Records, in their announcement, stated that Hilda spent more than the required time during one of her rest breaks.
Previous Manipulated Image
Recall that on May 23, 2023, ROUNDCHECK published a report on the viral image of Hilda Baci holding a Guinness World Record certificate, where, after thorough findings, it was found that the image was manipulated and incorrect.
Several blogs used manipulated images to depict that Hilda Baci had been awarded a certificate at that time, but our findings show the contrary.
The manipulated image showed the Nigerian chef holding a Guinness World Records (GWR) certificate, a few days after she completed the longest cooking marathon (by an individual) in Lagos.
We noticed that the blog updated its claim after our fact-check report, as seen below.
Conclusion
On the 13th of June, 2023., Hilda Baci was finally recognized officially and awarded her certificate for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
On May 16, 2023, a Twitter user with the account @TheHildaBaci made a tweet and posted the image of Hilda Baci holding a Guinness World Record certificate.
The photo showed the Nigerian chef holding a Guinness World Records (GWR) certificate, a few days after she completed her longest cooking marathon by an individual.
The tweet reads;
“GuinesssWorldRecord
We made history
Thank you for all the love, Thank you.”
The tweet had attracted more than 154,000 likes, over 21,000 retweets and more than 4.5 million views at the time of reporting.
Who is Hilda Bassey?
Hilda Bassey Effiong, popularly known as Hilda Baci, is a Nigerian chef who became a national sensation after cooking nonstop for 100 hours in an attempt to set a World Record for the longest cooking time by an individual. This attempt caught the attention of Guinness World Records, the globally recognized authority on record-breaking achievements.
Hilda, who hails from Akwa-Ibom State, started cooking on Thursday, May 11, 2023, and continued until Monday, May 15, 2023, creating more than 55 recipes and over 100 meals designed to showcase the best of Nigerian cuisine in the marathon kitchen session.
The attempt was set to beat the previous world record of 87 hours and 45 minutes in 2019 by an Indian chef, Lata Tondon. Hilda aimed for 100 hours.
ROUNDCHECK Findings
We conducted a series of findings on the image which was going viral and discovered it was manipulated.
Worthy of note about the marathon 100hrs cooking by Hilda, that Guinness World Records @GWR, through their official Twitter handle, on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, noted that the team is still reviewing the evidence from Hilda’s cooking marathon attempt.
As of the time of filing this report, Guinness World Records (GWR) is yet to officially declare Hilda Baci title holder of the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
This also shows that Guinness World Records is yet to present Hilda with a certificate.
Image Verification Results
We did a keyword search on Google using ‘has Hilda Baci received her certificate’, to further verify which media outlet reported the presentation of the certificate to Hilda by Guinness World Records as well as other webpages where the viral picture appeared.
We found that Zikoko’s blog published a report on Monday, May 15, 2023, using the manipulated image of Hilda. It was an updated version of its previously published report on May 11, 2023, when Hilda was still on the journey of setting a World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
The headline reads: “Guinness Confirms: Hilda Baci on the Journey to Breaking a Culinary World Record.“
The second sentence in the first paragraph of the post reads: “Guinness World Records officially confirmed it by sending her (Hilda Baci) a certificate…” Zikoko used the image, crediting the source to Eagle Online (another online blog).
Zikoko is a platform by Big Cabal Media that ‘amplifies African youth culture by curating and creating smart and joyful content.’
The Eagle Online, on May 16, 2023, made a post, falsely confirming that the Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci has been certified by the Guinness Book of Records.
The featured image on the post also carries the viral misleading image of Hilda holding a manipulated certificate with the Guinness World Records logo.
ROUNDCHECK’s findings showed that Guinness World Records is yet to send any certificate to Hilda as submission and review of pieces of evidence are still ongoing.
Also, neither Hilda nor GWR uploaded such image on their pages, as of the time of this report.
We conducted further findings using an image verification tool, TinEye, to verify the image.
We inserted the image showing that Hilda Baci has received a certificate from the Guinness World Record into TinEye and we found that the image was manipulated- because a similar picture has since been existing on the web.
The original person in the image is neither Hilda Bacci as claimed nor was the person holding a Guinness World Records certificate.
The image verification tool revealed that the image was first found on the internet on April 15, 2020, and was originally owned by RawPixel.com.
The image showed a black woman indicating with her hand a victory sign and holding a blank speech bubble frame.
Further findings using forensically, another image verification tool, with the aid of clone detection, suggest that the image has undergone some editing and manipulation.
Spotting The Manipulations And Red Flags
We compared both pictures (the original one and the manipulated one) by close view and zooming. We focused on the manipulated one with Hilda’s image.
First, there is a name (@symplyDAPO written on the cloth worn in the picture. This signifies the imprint of the person who did the image manipulation. A further check reveals that the handle, @symplyDAPO is known for editing images for entertainment and satire purposes.
Hence, the image did not emanate from neither Hilda nor is it an official certificate from Guinness World Records.
Secondly, the pointed fingers are slim and appear like Photoshop cropping (from the original image). That doesn’t look real.
A look at the fingernails also shows a sharp contradiction: Hilda finished her cook-a-thon on a Monday, and she had her nails neatly trimmed with no. fixed nails from the start of the 4-days cooking marathon.
Suddenly, the manipulated image showed her with fixed nails, less than 24 hours of completing 100hrs of cooking to beat and set a new World Record. Nail fixing was not the first thing she did after setting the Guinness World Records title.
Also, Hilda’s hairstyle on the first day of the cook-a-thon was a ‘cornrows with stitches’. Days after the cook-a-thon, she hasn’t changed her hairstyle (as several videos and pictures confirmed…)
But the hairstyle in the manipulated image is a ‘twisted braid’. That is a red flag.
Hilda’s hairstyle days after the cook-a-thon vs the manipulated image hairstyle. Hilda had same hairstyle throughout the cook-a-thon and seems not to have changed it yet. Photo Credit-first frame: Hilda Baci Twitter page, second frame: manipulated image
This confirms that the image was edited by placing Hilda’s face on the existing image to make it look real.
Parody Account Misleading Followers
ROUNDCHECK, during the course of its findings, also found that the Twitter account used to make the claim is a parody account and doesn’t belong to Hilda Bacci, as the Twitter name indicates. A review of the profile showed no detailed bio with a single sentence that reads;
“Guinness World Record For the longest cooking world Record (parody)”[sic]
In the bio, there was an indication that the account is a parody. It was created in May 2023 and has attracted over 62,000 followers, with one following.
This conclusion is supported by the fact that Hilda Baci, the supposed owner of the account, had already demonstrated her culinary skills in 2022 by successfully launching her own food restaurant as stated on her official website.
During our findings, we observed that the parody account is following a single account named Hilda Baci’s Cookathon @hildabacicooks (the real Hilda Baci account) which was created in March 2023 with over 115,000 followers.
The Hilda Baci’s Cookathon account provides a link to Hilda Baci’s official website where she announced the details of her cook-a-thon, including the specific location and time. Also, the website provided insight into Hilda Baci’s profile and her journey into the culinary space.
Further findings on the parody account showed that the first tweet made by the account was made on May 15, 2023, which turned out to be the same day Hilda Bacci ended her cooking marathon, as reported here. That shows that the user created it to gain an audience using Hilda’s trending feat.
The first tweet made on the parody account, which garnered 195,000 likes, over 23,000 retweets, and 1,386 quote retweets, falsely claimed in the tweet thread that the page is the official page of the chef; but it was a parody account to mislead followers.
Meanwhile, the original Hilda Bassesy’s Twitter page gave a disclaimer that parody accounts are springing up in the space of the 4-days cook-a-thon. The handler then added a graphic (as seen below) of original handles of the Guinness World Records prospect.
Verdict
The claim of the photo showing Hilda Baci with the Guinness World Record certificate is INCORRECT and misleading. The Twitter account used to circulate the claim is a parody.
As at the time of filing this report, Guinness World Records is yet to present Hilda Bassey a certificate; although she has completed the marathon 100hrs cooking, her evidence is still being uploaded and undergoing review by the Guinness team.
]]>On March 23, a claim was made by a Twitter user, @iam_kellyyce, that Jay Z and Beyonce visited Ilorin, Nigeria, in 2006. The tweet has 43 comments, 105 retweets, and 647 likes as of the time of fact-checking.
Who are Jay Z and Beyonce?
Jay Z and Beyonce are American music superstars who have three young children. The duo got married in April 2008.
Roundcheck Findings
Roundcheck findings revealed that the Governor of Kwara state in 2006, Bukola Saraki, invited the couple to Kwara state to see the efforts being made by the state government to provide clean and potable water for residents.
A google reverse image search revealed different pictures of Jay Z with Bukola Saraki and the Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari. Although the exact date wasn’t obtained, Roundcheck was able to ascertain that Jay Z visited Ilorin in 2006.
While in Ilorin, Jay-Z was turbaned as the Serikin Waka of Ilorin by the Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Gambari
Roundcheck made further research and discovered Bukola Saraki, named a street after the American rapper in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
Verdict and Conclusion
After a thorough check, the claim that Jay Z and Beyonce visited Ilorin in 2006 is TRUE.
Davido versus Wizkid Contest
Since David Adeleke “Davido” and Ayodeji Balogun “Wizkid” broke into the entertainment industry, there have been arguments and debates over who is better and more influential between the two. On several occasions, fans of the two singers have taken to social media to throw banters at one another in support of their favorite artists.
Roundcheck Findings
Roundcheck moved to fact-check the post. A search showed that Davido has two siblings; Adewale Adeleke and Sharon Adeleke. The brother is the Chairman of HKN Music, the record label that manages Davido’s music career. Roundcheck also conducted a name search on Twitter. The account which Adewale Adeleke uses “@ChairmanHKN,” has been verified by Twitter and has 106k followers. Further findings revealed that the brother was born on December 11, 1988, not May 20 as seen on the fake account’s profile.
Conclusion
The account that made the post calling Wizkid to send his account number does not belong to Davido’s brother. The post did not come from Davido or any of his siblings. It is false.
]]>CLAIM
According to a Twitter post made on Friday, 14th of January 2022, by @kcxx__ and posted on Marlian TV on Facebook, it was revealed that Wizkid will feature the fast-rising singer Portable in his upcoming album MoreLoveLessGo.
WHO IS PORTABLE?
Habeeb Okikiola popularly known as Portable Omolalomi is a Nigerian rapper, singer, songwriter, and performing artist, born in Ogun State. Portable started his career as a musician and rapper doing freestyle songs on his Instagram and social media page.
Portable as the Zazu Cronner came into the limelight after Olamide and Pocolee jumped on his song Zazu Zeh on the 23rd of December, 2021.
ROUNDCHECK FINDINGS
On the 14th of January 2022, the claim only appeared on the said Twitter handle. RoundCheck went through Wizkid’s Twitter and Instagram accounts and such a claim could not be found as he is yet to release details of his next album. Also, a close check at Portable’s Social media accounts has nothing related to this claim.
RoundCheck forward checked the authenticity of the tweet posted on the Twitter account and we verified it to be false
CONCLUSION
According to RoundCheck findings, the claim is False
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