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The Lagos State government’s decision to appoint social media personality Mandy Kiss as an ambassador for its “Kick Against Drug Abuse” campaign has ignited a fierce debate on celebrity endorsements and moral criteria for public figures.
The appointment, confirmed by Commissioner for the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogulende, aims to leverage Kiss’s viral influence to reach young people. This move comes weeks after the influencer was at the centre of a storm over a viral video.
The controversy was dissected on News Central TV’s Jasiri on Friday, where hosts strongly criticised the state’s choice.
Mandy Kiss had previously gone viral for claiming she wants to break the Guinness World record for sleeping with 100 men, a claim she later retracted, stating it was merely “catching cruise” (doing it for attention) and lamenting that she could not afford a lawyer to defend herself against the backlash.
One of the hosts, Omotunde Adebowale-David, voiced deep concern about the ethics of the appointment.
She argued that the state should focus on rehabilitation before elevation.
“Look at this young lady, obviously, screaming for help,” she said, suggesting she needs to be taken “through that process first, before we even talk about her becoming a light for others to follow.”
Adebowale-David suggested that the appointment might inadvertently reward dangerous behaviour, arguing that some now “act so extremely crazy” in the hope of gaining visibility and endorsement.
Fellow host Katherine Obiang viewed the situation as a failure of digital literacy.
She described the controversy as “the use of social media gone wrong,” where the individual attempts to leverage the platform to her advantage but is “not quite savvy in doing that,” leading to the message being “lost in translation.”
The most forceful critique came from Inam Maso, who invoked international examples of brand accountability to question the government’s criteria.
Maso cited cases like the South African SABC presenter who lost endorsements after a cheating scandal, and the withdrawal of partnerships from athlete Oscar Pistorius, even before his murder conviction.
She stressed that brand ambassadors must meet specific criteria and their behaviour must align with the brand’s values.
Maso argued that the government should not reward past controversial behaviour, stating, “I’m not going to reward you for that.”
She suggested that if suitable candidates cannot be found locally, the state should look to the diaspora for a public figure who has genuinely overcome substance abuse, and then allow them to tell their story as an ambassador.
The core of the Jasiri discussion was centred on whether the government prioritised raw social media reach over integrity and rehabilitation in its crucial public health campaign.
