| Image: Google |
Senegalese-American star Akon has sparked widespread discussion with a bold, speculative video that asks: what if Nigeria had kept full control of its oil wealth from 1960 onward? The Instagram clip — supported by AI-generated visuals — explores a dramatically different timeline in which Nigeria harnesses its natural resource revenues for its own transformation, rather than sharing them with multinational energy firms.
In the video, Akon poses a powerful “what-if” question: “What if Nigeria had kept 100 % of its oil money since 1960 instead of letting Shell and ExxonMobil take it?” He suggests that the earnings which flowed out of Africa could easily have been in Nigerian hands — “we’re talking about two trillion dollars that could have stayed in African hands,” the narration states. 
From this foundation, the video launches into an alternate future: Lagos becomes the world’s financial hub instead of London or New York. Nigerian universities evolve into global centres of invention, nurturing the next generation of tech titans. And the country’s film industry, Nollywood, doesn’t just compete with Hollywood — it dominates global entertainment. 
Akon goes further, visualising the ripple effects of this shift in power. He imagines London’s banking district emptied, major firms relocated to Abuja, and the Nigerian passport becoming more powerful than the American one. Migration patterns reverse, with Europeans and others arriving in Africa in search of work rather than the other way around. “The global power structure would flip entirely,” the narration says. 
At its heart, the video argues that one major decision in 1960 — to retain full resource-ownership — could have altered not just Nigeria’s destiny, but the entire world order. With Africa controlling its own resources, the narrative suggests, the continent might no longer play catch-up but lead from the front. “Instead of brain drain, Nigeria would attract the world’s brightest minds,” the clip asserts. 
While the scenario is speculative, Akon emphasises a message of possibility rather than regret. In his caption he writes: “The possibilities are endless but it’s never too late.”  He invites viewers to imagine how resource ownership and strategic investment might rewrite Africa’s story.
The reaction to the post has been strong. For many Nigerians, the clip touches a nerve — it surfaces familiar themes of resource-extraction, foreign dominance, and lost potential. Others applaud the imaginative use of AI and creative storytelling to highlight structural inequities in global economics. Critics, however, note the gulf between hypothetical visions and the complex realities of governance, infrastructure, corruption and global markets.
Still, the message resonates: imagine if Nigeria … imagine if Africa. By projecting an alternate path, Akon shines a spotlight on the “what could have been” while also suggesting that a different future is still possible. His vision doesn’t deny the past, but asks us to reconsider how agency, resource control and investment strategy can shape nations.
In many ways, the video is part social commentary, part call-to-action. It says: yes, vast sums left Africa; yes, power shifted away. But also: the foundations remain for change. The structural questions remain: what if the resources had been leveraged differently? What pipelines — financial, educational, industrial — might have been built?
For Nigeria, and by extension Africa, the message is clear: the story is not over. Ownership, value-addition, local innovation and strategic vision matter. Akon’s speculative narrative may never become history, but it challenges the audience to rethink history’s trajectory and imagine a future where resource-rich countries don’t just export raw commodities — they invest, innovate and lead.
Whether one takes the video as an inspiring thought-experiment or a wistful fantasy, it undeniably stirs reflection. What if that decision in 1960 had gone differently — and what if the change still happens now?
Watch video below…
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