Avi Patel says Kled removed from Nigerian App Store after ‘overwhelming abuse’; Critics accuse him of racism, generalisation
A firestorm of outrage has erupted after Avi Patel, a foreign tech founder, announced that his company had removed its app, Kled, from Nigeria’s App Store and imposed an IP ban on the entire country, citing a “95% fraud rate” among Nigerian users.
In a lengthy statement posted on X, Patel wrote bluntly: “We have removed Kled from the Nigerian app store and IP banned the entire region.”
The decision has sparked fierce backlash, with many Nigerians accusing the founder of racism, sweeping generalisation, and exploiting negative stereotypes about the country.
‘Nobody knows your app’
One user, Bellinie, rejected the claims outright, writing: “Nobody in Nigeria knows your app… nice marketing scheme only a fool will fall for this.”
Another user, Boop, reacted angrily: “So you’re blacklisting the people that actually need it… just say you hate the African community—you’re a racist.”
A user identified as Teabags raised concerns about trust and privacy, warning: “It is a very bad thing to put your users’ details out like that… I hope your project begins to lose relevance.”
Some Nigerians agree: ‘The average Nigerian is doing the exact same thing’
However, not all responses were critical. A commenter known as “God’s own” wrote: “Nigerians will swear that it’s politicians only spoiling the Nigeria and the Nigerian brand… meanwhile the average Nigerian… is doing the exact same thing.”
Others expressed disappointment rather than anger. One contributor said: “As a Nigerian contributor myself, this is sad. I love Kled and what you guys do.”
Founder defends decision: ‘0 racial motivation’
Despite the backlash, Patel maintained his position, criticising what he described as emotionally driven reactions.
“Extremely emotionally charged response for a very fair business decision that has 0 racial motivation,” he said, urging critics to “respect our choices.”
He offered no indication of reversing the ban, insisting that the fraud rate—which he put at 95%—left the company with no viable alternative.