This archive report was first published on 15 September 2019.
Published on September 15, 2019, a heated debate has been sparked on Twitter between Kenyans and Nigerians over the casting of Lupita Nyong'o in a new movie adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's best-selling novel, Americanah.
WarnerMedia Entertainment, an American movie giant, chose the Kenyan-born actress to play a Nigerian character in the 10-episode TV series. The adaptation is based on Adichie's novel, which tells the story of a Nigerian-born woman who left home for America and her extraordinary experiences with love, heartache, adversity, and self-discovery.
However, the decision to cast Lupita Nyong'o in the role has infuriated Nigerians, who took to Twitter on Sunday, September 15, to express their displeasure and demand answers on why a Kenyan actress will be playing a Nigerian character.
One Twitter user, Almost a Billionaire, posed the question, 'They need to stop doing this. We have fine actresses from Nigeria who can play these roles better. Lupita is good but try other people who are Nigerians. She’s going to be told or taught how to speak half-baked Igbo instead of a real Nigerian?'
Kenyan netizens, however, came to the defence of Lupita, using the hashtag #someonetellNigeria.
