The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved the issuance of a Ghanaian passport to U.S.-based YouTube streamer IShowSpeed after confirming his ancestral and cultural ties to Ghana, the Foreign Affairs Minister has announced.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the decision followed verification of what he described as “irrefutable ties” between the popular content creator and Ghana.
“After subsequent confirmation of the irrefutable ties of IShowSpeed to Ghana, I am pleased to inform you and our compatriots that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved the issuance of a Ghanaian passport to IShowSpeed,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
IShowSpeed, born Darren Jason Watkins Jr. in 2005, is an American digital content creator widely known for live-streaming gaming, travel, and entertainment content.
He has amassed tens of millions of subscribers on YouTube, making him one of the platform’s most-followed personalities.
The streamer recently visited Ghana as part of his Africa tour, a trip that drew significant international attention through his live broadcasts and online posts.
During the visit, he interacted with local communities, explored cultural sites, and featured public spaces across the country, exposing millions of viewers worldwide to Ghanaian culture and daily life.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that the approval aligns with Ghana’s ongoing efforts to engage members of the African diaspora who maintain cultural, historical, or ancestral links to the country.
“Keep making our great nation Ghana, and our beloved African continent proud,” the minister added.
The decision forms part of Ghana’s broader diaspora engagement strategy, which seeks to strengthen cultural ties and deepen people-to-people connections between the country and Africans living abroad.
