President John Dramani Mahama has underscored the growing influence of new media in shaping global perceptions of countries, revealing that he only became aware of Ghana’s Shea Butter Museum after it was visited by American internet sensation IShowSpeed during his recent tour of Africa.
The President made the disclosure while speaking at the Zambia–Business Dialogue in Lusaka as part of his three-day state visit to Zambia.
He used the moment to highlight how social media and digital content creators are increasingly driving international attention and national branding.
Referring to the popular online streamer, Mahama said IShowSpeed’s visit to Ghana included a stop at the Shea Butter Museum, where the influencer received a massage using the locally produced cosmetic product.
“With regards to the media again… he came through Ghana,” Mahama stated.
“And apparently I didn’t know that we had a Shea Butter museum in Ghana. And this young man visited. And he had a good massage with Shea Butter.”
According to the President, the influencer’s experience at the facility quickly went viral, drawing massive global attention to shea butter and its uses.
“I’m told that after he left there were millions of searches on the Internet for what Shea Butter is and what Shea Butter can be used for,” he said.
Mahama added that the online buzz extended beyond the product itself, significantly boosting interest in Ghana as a destination.
“After he left it was reported that there were 20 million searches for Ghana… where is Ghana, what is Ghana about,” he noted.
The President stressed that the incident demonstrates the powerful role digital media now plays in promoting tourism, local industries and national identity, often in ways traditional publicity channels may not achieve.
