Tiwa Savage Foundation Launch Turns Away Journalists Over T-Shirts

Several journalists were blocked from attending the launch of the Tiwa Savage Music Foundation in Lagos on Monday after event organisers made wearing branded T-shirts a condition for entry a requirement that sparked outrage among press corps members and briefly threatened to derail media coverage of the high-profile event.

The launch, held at The Delborough Lagos, drew a star-studded crowd that included Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, media mogul Mo Abudu, music executive Don Jazzy, Yeni Kuti, Bose Ogulu, Shade Okoya, Layal Holm, Florence Ita-Giwa, and Darey Art Alade alongside his wife Deola Art Alade.

But the glamour inside was overshadowed by scenes of confusion outside, where accredited journalists were directed to register on the street in full public view — and told they would only gain entry if they wore shirts distributed by the organising team. The situation deteriorated further when the organisers ran out of the branded clothing, leaving security personnel with strict instructions to turn away anyone not wearing one.

This Day journalist Yinka Olatunbosun, who documented the incident on Facebook, said she personally witnessed reporters from Channels Television, The Guardian, and New Telegraph turned away at the entrance despite holding valid press credentials. Some journalists eventually accepted the shirts to get inside; others refused.

Olatunbosun condemned the policy in strong terms, calling it “a dangerous precedence” that crosses a clear professional line. “It’s a sad day for journalism in Nigeria,” she wrote, questioning whether foreign correspondents would equally be required to wear promotional clothing before being permitted to report on a Nigerian event. She framed the dress code as an attempt to conscript journalists into becoming brand ambassadors during what should be straightforward editorial coverage.

Pressure from journalists ultimately forced the organisers to drop the T-shirt requirement. However, tensions did not ease once reporters were allowed inside. Correspondents were reportedly jostled and shoved on the red carpet to clear space for celebrities, with the situation made worse by the presence of social media content creators competing for footage. A number of journalists from established outlets eventually walked out. One described the overall treatment as “outright disrespectful.”