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The Nigerian BMX Craze

By Christopher Ashley

BMX Bandits was an Australian movie that showed teenagers tearing about Sydney on their bikes while Nicole Kidman launched her film career. You can see why it made an impression on a young boy. And the idea that you can achieve anything on a BMX is an idea that still resonates today.

It started with Starboy BMX

For about 4 years, Matthew Temitope Solomon has been getting serious about his life on two wheels. Known by the street-name of Starboy BMX, Solomon has blazed a trail in Nigeria, dominating the cycling culture and capturing the imagination of his peers.

You can tell Starboy BMX and his crew are the real deal – they spend just as much time showing off their beautifully cared-for bikes as they do their hard-learned tricks. There’s an effortless joy to these videos and a real celebration of BMX culture.

Cult Crew Nigeria

The Nigerian craze is getting a lot of traction around Nigeria’s most populated sea-port, Lagos, and that’s where the hottest new crews are coalescing. Rich in imports, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Lagos youth are able to keep up appearances and express a very cosmopolitan style.

Social media goldrush

Starboy BMX is much more than just a BMX lover – he’s bringing Nigeria into the 2020s with his social media presence and is quickly becoming one of the leading lights of Nigeria’s growing army of Instagrammers.

Other crews and individuals are getting in on the action with missions of their own, by the promotion of #ridebmxafrica and a gofundme where you can support Che in his efforts to help tell the story of BMX riding in Africa. If you want to see the talent you’ll be supporting, check this out.

Big news but more is coming

Talent always attracts sponsors and Nigeria is beginning to see the likes of Red Bull take interest in their scene. More importantly, the Nigerian BMX craze is attracting the attention of worldwide media outlets like the BBC that recently ran this video via their twitter feed.

The future of BMX in Nigeria looks bright and may lead the dawn of a new age of cycling across the African continent.