Nigerian content creator Carter Efe did not appear on the first day of Kai Cenat’s Streamer University in the United States after his visa application remained unresolved.
Carter Efe, whose real name is Israel Paul Enesi, was named in early July as the first African participant selected for the 2026 edition of the program. Streamer University is run by American streamer Kai Cenat and brings together a small group of creators from around the world for a four-day training, networking and joint content production.
By yesterday, Carter Efe had not received his visa. He addressed the delay in a livestream, appealing directly to Kai Cenat and fellow creators Rakai and RayAsianBoy for help. Kai Cenat responded on stream, watching Carter Efe’s appeal and acknowledging the situation, though the visa decision itself remained with the US Embassy in Nigeria rather than with the program.
On Monday, Carter Efe posted a video asking Nigerians to help him reach Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, about the delay. In the video, he said: “I got admission into Kai Cenat Streamers University, but I still don’t have a US visa. Please, you all should help me tag Seyi Tinubu to help my life.”
The appeal drew criticism from some viewers within a day. A Canada-based Nigerian doctor known online as Doctor Zo urged Carter Efe to remove the video, warning that US consular officers review applicants’ social media activity and could interpret a public plea as a sign the applicant does not intend to return home after travel. Doctor Zo also noted that Seyi Tinubu has no authority over a visa officer at the embassy.
Carter Efe earlier expected the possibility of missing the program. In a post before the July 13 appeal, he wrote: “I fit nor enter Streamers University. It’s well.” In a separate post, he added: “I’m happy, and I’m also grateful to God to be recognized internationally as a streamer in Nigeria. It’s a win for me. Visa wan whine me.”
Afrobeats singer Davido addressed the situation in a recent interview, offering support. He said: “Shoutout to Carter Efe. Whether he makes it to America or not, he’s already got the recognition. America is now a different ballgame under the current administration. Before, you could get it in 2 days.”
As of Thursday morning, no visa approval has been confirmed, and neither the US Embassy in Nigeria nor Kai Cenat’s Streamer University has issued an official statement on Carter Efe’s participation.
Visa delays affecting Nigerian public figures and athletes ahead of international engagements are not new.
Long jumper Ese Brume missed the 2024 Suzhou Diamond League after a Chinese visa denial and had earlier been refused a UK visa the same year. Nigeria’s under-16 football team, known as the Future Eagles, missed the UEFA U16 Development Tournament after players and officials were denied visas without explanation. At the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, more than 99 visa cases involving athletes from various countries remained unresolved out of 374 escalated cases.
The US State Department has expanded social media screening requirements for visa applicants over the past year. It extended an online-presence review first applied to student and exchange visas in June 2025 to H-1B applicants in December 2025, and to more than a dozen additional visa categories on March 30, 2026.
