Mr P under fire after dismissing value of Nigerian languages

Afrobeats singer Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P, has come under heavy criticism on social media after appearing to dismiss the value of Nigeria's indigenous languages while responding to a fan's question about his children speaking Igbo.

The controversy began after the former P-Square star, who is currently on vacation in Paris, France, shared his excitement over his children's fluency in French.

"Still in Paris! Watching my kids speak French so effortlessly makes me think… maybe it's time to own a crib here in Paris," he wrote on X.

Reacting to the post, a fan asked whether his children could also speak Igbo.

"Hope they can speak Igbo, too?"

In response, Mr P wrote:

"And who naija language help? Make I hear word abeg."

The comment quickly sparked outrage online, with many Nigerians accusing the singer of belittling indigenous languages despite building much of his music career around songs infused with Igbo, Yoruba and other local dialects.

Critics argued that Nigeria's indigenous languages have played a significant role in the global success of Afrobeats and contributed to the commercial appeal of artists like Mr P, making his remarks disappointing and insensitive.