Nigerian singer Yemi Alade has been denied a visa to perform in Canada over fears she might not leave the country

 

Le Devoir, a French-language newspaper published in Canada, reports that the singer will no longer perform at a festival’s final closing concert on Sunday, July 14 due to visa denial.

 

Yemi was listed as one of the headliners of the Festival international Nuits d’Afrique.

 

Commenting on the development, Suzanne Rousseau, the festival co-founder, said the visa denial was due to “financial reasons, and for fears that the group wouldn’t leave Canada.”

 

Rousseau also lamented that the process of applying for a visitor’s visa has been difficult for “at least five years.”

 

She added: “Finally, we got an answer saying the musicians were refused, saying they have to guarantee that they have enough financial means that will make them go back to their country.”

 

Rousseau said Yemi Alade will now be replaced with Sampa The Great, a Zambian-born Australian-based female rapper.