Bokku Mart, a well-known Nigerian supermarket chain, is facing intense backlash after releasing a now deleted advert that many Nigerians described as racist and demeaning towards the Igbo ethnic group.
The controversial video, shared on the company’s social media pages, featured an influencer saying she could buy “beans and Garri Ijebu at Bokku without any Omo Igbo cheating me.”
The statement triggered immediate outrage online, with thousands accusing the company of using tribal slurs to market its products.
Social media users said the remark was not only offensive but also exposed how deeply ethnic prejudice has crept into corporate advertising in Nigeria.
An X user identified as ‘Pharaoh’ said, “Imagine a brand as big as Bokku Mart relying on ethnic stereotyping and slurs for marketing. The whole marketing team sat down, watched this video, approved it and not one person thought ‘without any omo Igbo cheating me’ was wrong???? You people need to do better.”
Another user, Osondu Chibuzo, accused the company of encouraging tribal hatred and vowed never to patronise its outlets again.
“People who were taught from childhood to hate the Igbo tribe. I don’t even expect @bokkumart to issue a statement on this disgraceful advertisement. Do I even patronise them? Justrite and Jendol are closer to me, and both have better customer service,” he said.
Other Nigerians condemned the company for failing to vet its content properly before publishing.
A user identified as Drew wrote, “That’s exactly what I discussed with my guy yesterday, with the way tribalism war is in this country, you guys still come up with this rubbish. Omo na wah for them sha.”
Another, Ola, said: “Funniest thing, cheating is not tribal based. Those who want to cheat you will cheat you regardless of where they come from. However, this is too sensitive to put out there. Your marketing could still have been successfully done without adding the omo Igbo comment.”
Several Nigerians described the campaign as a reflection of corporate irresponsibility and the normalisation of tribal prejudice for profit.In response to the outrage, Bokku Mart issued an apology, blaming the influencer for the offensive language.
“We are sorry, very sorry, an influencer used the words and she’s been cautioned, we’ve taken it down everywhere and do not condone this at all, if anything, we are very pro Nigerian in our dealings and will never intentionally hurt any arm of what makes us a beautiful country,” the company said.
The apology has done little to calm anger, with many Nigerians dismissing it as damage control and accusing Bokku Mart of only reacting because of the public backlash.
Public relations experts have since criticised the company’s lack of oversight, arguing that any professional brand team should have identified and removed the offensive remark before approving the video.
The controversy has reignited debates about hate speech and tribal prejudice in Nigeria’s advertising industry, with citizens calling for stronger regulation and accountability from corporate brands.
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