Nigerian singer and Grammy-winning artist, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has advised the global community to visit Lagos and Ghana before forming an opinion about Africa.
Speaking in an interview with Fashion Bomb Daily during the 2025 Met Gala in New York, Tems called on the global community to experience firsthand the rich culture of Africa instead of relying on the skewed notions commonly peddled by people who have never set foot on the continent.
Therefore, the ‘Love Me Jeje’ singer invited international visitors to experience Africa, especially Lagos and Ghana, firsthand and gain a genuine perspective on life on the continent.
The singer noted that the true allure of Africa is found in its vibrant cultures and artistic expressions.
She said, “I always encouraged people to go to Lagos and Ghana for vacation. Just go and see for yourself before you make an opinion [about Africa]. See it for yourself and see how you feel.
“I think it [the beauty of Africa] is in the creativity, the daily efforts, the looks, the songs, the traditions and the cultures.”
Tems also spoke about how diverse African music is, contrary to the global perception that it is just Afrobeats.
“We [Africans] can go further in every single aspect of sound. We are not just Afrobeats. There is Amapiano, Afrosoul, R&B, Afro Jazz. There are so many genres in African music that people are not all the way tapped into yet,” the singer said.
Meanwhile, Tems has emerged as one of the Nigerian artists recently unveiled as nominees for the 2025 BET Awards.
Although Ayra Starr is the most nominated African artist with three nominations: Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, Best New Artist, and Best International Act, Tems came a close second with two nominations in the BET Her category for her powerful tracks “Burning” and “Hold On,” both from her debut album Born In The Wild.
Fellow Nigerian stars Burna Boy, Rema, and Shallipopi also earned notable nominations.
Other African acts such as South Africa’s Tyla and Uncle Waffles, Ghana’s Black Sherif, and Tanzania’s Abigail Chams were also nominated in various categories.
