Nigerian afrobeats superstar Burna Boy donates N140 million (US$100,000) to Martin Vincent Otse Initiative (MVOI), a nonprofit run by internet personality VeryDarkMan. Burna Boy’s donation is the second nine-figure donation to VDM’s NGO, following music executive Don Jazzy’s backing of MVOI with N100 milllion.
Burna Boy’s triggers shift in MVOI focus
According to a video posted on VDM’s official IG, Burna Boy made a sizable donation of N140 million to the MVOI. Per the video, the music superstar wired the sum on January 30 through a Fidelity Bank account of Spaceship Collective, his full-service music company.
At press time, checks on the real-time donation tracker peg the current balance of the NGO account at N237,575,766. Meanwhile, the total raised sum just crossed the 380 million mark as Burna Boy donates the largest individual contribution to MVOI.
A visibly elated VDM noted that the funds will be deployed to a raft of projects, including the release of individuals wrongfully incarcerated. Furthermore, VDM added that a portion of Burna Boy’s donation will be used to clear hospital bills of sick persons across Nigeria.
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VDM clarified that while the release of prisoners and payment of hospitals strays from MVOI’s focus, he will make an exception for Burnaboy’s donation. He reiterated that the NGO’s primary focus is on the renovation of schools and the digging of boreholes across Nigeria.
“The NGO does not do hospital things,” said VDM. “Na because of this Burna Boy money we go do am.”
Meanwhile, Burna Boy has a red-hot streak of medical-related donations. Back in 2024, Burna Boy visited the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and paid the medical bills of several patients. In late December, Burna Boy gave VDM $100,000 with an instruction to use $50,000 to clear hospital bills and the other half to pay for the release of prisoners.
Nigerians react as Burna Boy donates to VDM
Burna Boy’s donation has sparked a wave of reactions from Nigerians, with the general sentiment being largely positive. Minutes after VDM’s announcement of Burna Boy’s donation, Charity Journal’s team recorded an uptick in transfers to the MVOI account with a wave of small-cap donations pouring in.
While controversy has previously trailed VDM’s handling of NGO funds, the social media personality made MVOI’s financials open to the general public. In mid-January, he disclosed that any individual can walk into any Zenith Bank office to request a statement of account.
Software developer Sotonye McLeod Bob-Manuel at MacLeod Technologies warned that while the move is positive for transparency issues, there are privacy concerns.
“The upside is that it improves public trust and accountability,” said Sotonye. “However, inflows and outflows on a spreadsheet usually do not tell the full story.”