Toyin Abraham Defends Kneeling To Greet Elders

Popular actress Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi has fired back at critics who mocked her for kneeling to greet elders at a recent event.

The actress faced backlash after a video surfaced showing her kneeling before billionaire Chief Razaq Okoya and his wife, Shade, at a birthday party for former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel. Some social media users called her behaviour “eye service,” suggesting she was doing it only to impress rich people.

However, in a statement on Saturday, Toyin explained that kneeling is a part of her Yoruba culture and how she was raised. She said that showing respect to elders is a deeply held value she will never be ashamed of, no matter how famous she becomes.

“I was raised to kneel when greeting people older than me. It is who I am,” she said.

The filmmaker also said she is worried that people now see basic traditions as a bad thing. She promised to keep teaching these values to younger people so that Nigerian culture does not die out.