A National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Lagos, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, popularly known as Raye, has issued an apology after facing backlash over a viral video in which she described Lagos as a “smelling state.”
In a statement made available on her Instagram account on Monday, Raye acknowledged that her comment may have offended residents of the state and expressed regret for her choice of words.
She clarified that her intention was not to insult those born and raised in Lagos but to express her observation as a visitor.
According to her, the remark was part of an initiative—a 30-day rant challenge she had started in a bid to draw attention to pressing issues in the country.
She explained that her goal was to be heard and to encourage others to speak up about the country’s worsening economic situation.
Raye noted that although her plan was to post 20 videos highlighting various concerns, the first video quickly drew significant attention because many Nigerians were equally frustrated.
She wrote, “I want to first of all state that “I AM SORRY” to the people who were born and raised in Lagos State if you feel offended by what I said. I am sorry.
“But as a visitor here, I could tell there was a difference in the atmosphere and quality of air here. If the way that I put it triggered your emotions and the love for your birth state, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to talk down on your birth state.
“When I started the 30 days rant challenge I said I just wanted to be heard. I believed that if I got to DAY-20 people would begin to hear me and join me to speak to the government. My Target was to make atleast 20 videos complaining until I was heard. But lucky for me I didn’t even have to get to DAY-2 because alot of us are actually angry, and Day 1 of the challenge was enough for people to join me.
“I want better for myself. (And I hope you do too) the complaints I made are valid regardless of whatever “lifestyle” you think I am living.
“I work 45+ hours a week and I should be able to afford hanging out with my friends every weekend. However I can’t. But how many of us can actually afford hanging out with our friends, how many can afford that in reality? You spend all week working and can’t even feel alive during the weekends.
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“I Encourage all of us to ask for what we believe we deserve. I know distractions will take us again, very soon. But if we stay committed to asking for better we will get better. Thank you.”
Raye has been trending on Nigeria’s social media platforms since Saturday after a video she posted on her TikTok account went viral. In the video, she decried Nigeria’s economic hardship and inflation, expressing frustration that hard work no longer translates into financial stability.
She criticised President Bola Tinubu, labelling him a “terrible leader” and questioning what the government was doing to ease citizens’ suffering.
She also took a swipe at the alleged poor living conditions in Lagos State, which she described as a “smelling state.”
Shortly after the video gained attention, Raye claimed she began receiving threats, allegedly from NYSC officials, pressuring her to take down the post.
She took to her Instagram page to express her disappointment at what she described as an attempt to stifle her voice, insisting she had only spoken the truth about the country’s reality.
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