Russian influencer raises concern over color bias in Nigeria

Russian-born influencer and actress, Fari Elysian, popularly known as Farida Mirzebalaeva, has raised concerns about colour bias in Nigeria, saying white people are often treated better than Nigerians by Nigerians themselves.

Elysian, who has lived in Nigeria for six years, spoke on the KaaTruths Podcast hosted by KAA. She said she now identifies more as Nigerian than Russian, but she has observed that many Nigerians regard white people as smarter and accord them greater respect.

Recounting an incident at a Kilimanjaro restaurant in Port Harcourt, she said a security guard warmly welcomed her and opened the door for her, but shut the door in the face of her Nigerian boyfriend who was walking behind her.

According to her, the guard acted based on skin colour alone, without any knowledge of their financial status or personal circumstances.

“What if this guy is the one saving my life at this point? What if this guy is the rich one actually? What if he is the one that has money in his account and I am the broke one? He did not know I was broke, I was hungry, I was looking for ways to find money, and you are treating me better than this person just because of my colour. How does that make sense to you?” she said.

Elysian also questioned the reluctance of some Nigerians to trust fellow citizens with business and employment opportunities. She noted that many major businesses in the country are owned by foreigners.

She further observed that some wealthy Nigerian households employ private chefs from other African countries, and described the widespread sentiment of “I can’t trust my people” as a problem that needs to be addressed.