A fresh debate has erupted on social media following the emergence of a video showing a Lagos-based massage parlour promoting a Shea Butter treatment experience similar to one popularised in Ghana.
The Nigerian spa recently shared footage of attendants dressed in traditional Ghanaian-style outfits, with calabashes filled with Shea Butter placed beside them as they introduced the product and performed massage sessions. The presentation quickly caught the attention of Ghanaian social media users, many of whom drew comparisons to Ghana’s famed Shea Butter Museum.
The museum, founded by entrepreneur and former beauty queen Hamamat Montia, rose to international prominence in January 2026 after American livestreamer IShowSpeed visited and participated in its now-viral “Kuriya Kuriya” Shea Butter massage session.
The viral broadcast sparked global curiosity about Ghana’s Shea Butter heritage, turning the museum into a major tourist hotspot and reportedly leaving it fully booked for months. The surge in attention also led to Hamamat’s recognition by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts as an Ambassador for Shea Butter.
Since then, the attraction has welcomed high-profile visitors, including Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido and Jamaican dancehall artiste Popcaan.
While some Ghanaians have accused the Lagos spa of copying the Ghanaian concept, others view the development as evidence of the growing regional and global influence of West Africa’s Shea Butter culture.
Industry observers note that the growing popularity of Shea Butter-based wellness experiences underscores the product’s expanding commercial and cultural value across Africa, even as conversations about originality and cultural inspiration continue online.
