Nollywood Actor Kunle Afod Criticises Nigerians’ Obsession With Gossip Over National Issues

Nollywood Actor Kunle Afod Criticises Nigerians’ Obsession With Gossip Over National Issues

By Bukola Ogunsina

Nollywood actor Kunle Afod has publicly criticised Nigerians for what he describes as a damaging culture of gossip that distracts the public from pressing national issues.

In a post shared on his Instagram page, Afod lamented that Nigerians habitually abandon important matters the moment a new subject of gossip emerges, choosing distraction over meaningful engagement.

“Nigerians have a way of ignoring important issues the moment they find something or someone to gossip about,” the actor wrote. “We often give more attention to distractions than to matters that truly deserve our focus. It’s time to change that.”

The post struck a chord with many followers, sparking a wave of responses across the comment section. Several users appeared to agree with Afod’s assessment, with some drawing direct connections to ongoing national crises, including the continued captivity of children abducted by bandits.

“I think about those kids in the bush every day. Naija is sick,” one user wrote, while another added, “Children still dey inside bush, dey don forget that one.”

Others were equally blunt in their frustration. “It’s a very annoying something that calls for God’s interference, especially in this our country,” one commenter noted. Another simply remarked, “Na little thing dey distract Nigerians.”

Not all responses were in full agreement with the actor’s framing, however. One user challenged Afod to move beyond social media commentary, urging him to join street-level activism: “Oga, go join VDM for Ibadan, voice out and join the protest. Leave the online youth.”

Some users also pushed back on the notion that the problem is exclusive to young people, noting that the culture of distraction cuts across generations and demographics.