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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Nigerian singer, Yemi Alade, has been denied Canadian visa over fears that she might not leave the North American country.
The French-language newspaper, Le Devoir, reports that the Afrobeat singer will not be able to perform at a festival’s final closing concert on Sunday, July 25.
The 33-year-old songstress is said to be one of the headliners of the Festival international Nuits d’Afrique.
Commenting on the development, the festival’s co-founder, Suzanne Rousseau, said the visa denial was due to “financial reasons, and for fears that the group wouldn’t leave Canada.”
Rousseau also lamented that the process of applying for a visitor’s visa has been difficult for “at least five years.”
“Finally, we got an answer saying the musicians were refused, saying they have to guarantee that they have enough financial means that will make them go back to their country,” she said.
With the cancellation of Alade’s performance, Rousseau said the Nigerian will be replaced by Sampa The Great, a Zambian-born Australia-based female rapper.