“What Vision?”: Davido’s Meeting with France’s President Macron Splits Opinion On Social Media

Afrobeats megastar Davido met French president Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris this week, sharing photos from what he described as ‘an honour’ on social media.

The singer, born David Adeleke, shared the images on his verified social accounts on Thursday, October 23.

Davido captioned the post on Instagram: “It was an honor meeting @EmmanuelMacron and sharing our visions for a better world.” 

The photos show a relaxed, cordial exchange and members of Davido’s team standing alongside the 47-year-old French leader. 

Also present was Davido’s manager, Asa Asika, and nightlife entrepreneur Pascal “Cubana Chief Priest” Okechukwu with the president. 

The encounter has set off a flurry of mixed reactions on social media.

While many fans praised the 32-year-old Nigerian star, some fans criticised the 5IVE singer.

One fan wrote on X(formerly known as Twitter): “Vision wey u no see share give tinubu.”

Another user commented: “You no share give tinubu make country better, na France president you dey give idea.”

One other comment read: “If that meeting is for a better Nigeria make I bend.”

Another user frowned at the meeting writing, “This is not a flex. France is still practicing modern day colonization on some African countries.”

Meanwhile, other fans questioned the role of Cubana Chief Priest following the meeting.

One user wrote: “wetin be chief priest role for Davido life again?”

Another quipped, “Wait o @RealChiefPriest  na Davido bodyguard?”

One other comment read, “Chief priest na Davido handbag, bro just traveling the world meeting superstars and presidents.”

Davido’s meeting with the France president comes after he was recently named chairman of the Osun Sports Trust Fund in Nigeria, a role that places him in public life beyond music.

In recent years, Macron has courted African cultural figures as part of a broader push to reset relations with francophone and anglophone African states. 

For Davido, the encounter with President Macron is more than a diplomatic photo opportunity; it is another reminder of his formidable influence as one of Africa’s biggest cultural exports. 

With over 70 million combined followers across Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok, he commands the largest social media reach of any Nigerian entertainer. 

Davido’s career has long been defined by milestones that bridge music, business, and diplomacy. He headlined the 2022 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony in Qatar, marking a first for an African artist.

In the years since, Davido’s influence has only deepened.

His 2023 album Timeless debuted on Billboard’s World Albums chart and racked up hundreds of millions of streams across platforms.

His philanthropic initiatives have also cemented his reputation beyond entertainment.

In an era when Afrobeats has become a global export rivaling K-pop and Latin pop, OBO’s latest meeting with President Macron places him league of artists who double as cultural ambassadors. 

Whether the Paris meeting was purely ceremonial or the start of future collaborations remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Davido’s name now resonates in the same breath as world leaders. And that’s more than enough proof that Afrobeats has become one of Nigeria’s strongest diplomatic tools.