IShowSpeed’s visit sparked 20m online searches about Ghana 

President highlights power of new media at Ghana–Zambia Business Forum, says influencer promoted shea butter better than traditional campaigns

President John Dramani Mahama has pointed the growing power of new media in shaping global perceptions about countries, revealing that a recent visit to Ghana by American internet personality IShowSpeed triggered a surge of global online interest in Ghanaian products and attractions.

Speaking at the Ghana–Zambia Business Forum, President Mahama said the influencer’s tour of Ghana generated unprecedented online attention, particularly around shea butter, after he visited a shea butter museum during his stay.

According to the President, the visit demonstrated how digital influencers can promote local industries and cultural heritage far more effectively than traditional promotional campaigns.

“Recently, a young American influencer travelled through several African countries, speaking about the power of new media. He visited Ghana, where he learned about our local shea butter — and I didn’t even know we had a shea butter museum there,” President Mahama said.

He recounted how the influencer’s experience at the museum, including a shea butter massage performed by about ten women, quickly went viral online and drew global attention to the product and its uses.

“After his visit, I was told there were millions of internet searches about what shea butter is and its uses. He promoted our product far better than we could have done ourselves,” the President noted.

President Mahama disclosed that following the visit, Ghana recorded about 20 million online searches related to its attractions, a development he said clearly illustrates the power of digital platforms in influencing global interest and awareness.

“This shows that we can leverage new media to our advantage, though it also comes with its downsides,” he added.

The President’s remarks highlighted the increasing role of digital influencers, online content creators, and social media platforms in promoting tourism, culture, and local industries in today’s rapidly evolving global media environment.

His comments suggest that Ghana could strategically harness such platforms to boost international visibility for its products, heritage sites, and tourism destinations without relying solely on conventional advertising methods.