Nigerian social media Influencer Martins Otse popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has reacted to allegations that his recent trip to China was negatively affecting Igbo businesses.
The backlash followed comments from an Igbo businessman, Tochukwu Harrison Mmaduboallor, who accused VDM of exposing trade secrets relied upon by Igbo traders in China.
VDM shared clips of himself visiting several Chinese companies, stating that his goal was to bridge the gap between Chinese manufacturers and Nigerian consumers.
Responding to the accusations, he clarified that he never mentioned any tribe in his videos and that his intention was to inspire Nigerians and Africans to explore business opportunities.
“Very selfish, it just made me see, do Nigerians really want Nigeria to grow? Because this is the same mentality wey never let us get light,” VDM said in a video addressing the criticism.
He added; “I am just opening eyes for people to do business. I don’t have plans to spoil anybody’s business; the sky is too big for everybody to fly.”
Tochukwu had argued that VDM’s actions were undermining the secrecy that many Igbo businessmen rely on to maintain their trade in China.
“Business is all about secrecy. Real businessmen don’t introduce their suppliers to their customers,” he said in a viral video that sparked online reactions.
VDM, however, emphasized that his focus was to move his influence from social media into real-life business impact, encouraging people to explore trade opportunities and rethink restrictive mindsets.
In the caption of his response video, he wrote:
“The problem of Nigeria is not only the government; as you can see, the mindset of the average man lacks togetherness.”