By Safiyat Muhammed | Lagos | Nigeria News Today
Veteran Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, has stirred controversy after declaring that infidelity is “ingrained” in Nigerian culture, insisting that 90 to 99 percent of men cheat by default.
The actress made the remarks during a podcast conversation with fellow actress Ayo Adesanya, where the topic of cheating and fidelity came up after a lady sought advice about her unfaithful boyfriend.
“Cheating is Cultural” – Akintola
Akintola argued that infidelity is not a modern trend but a generational pattern rooted in polygamy and cultural upbringing.
“The majority of our men cheat. Your father cheated, sir. Sorry, I’m sorry. Your grandfather did. Polygamy, polygamy. Yes, my father has two wives,” she said.
The actress maintained that women should be more realistic in their expectations of men, rather than holding on to what she described as “foreign ideas of fidelity.”
She added:
“I don’t know where this idea of fidelity came from in Africa. The reality is 90% of our men cheat, it’s ingrained in them. Some even grew up following their fathers to see girlfriends.”
“Even Beyoncé Stayed”
In stressing her point, Akintola referenced American superstar Beyoncé, who famously stayed with rapper Jay Z despite his infidelity.
“You leave one man because he cheated, you go to another, the same problem. Jay Z cheated on Beyoncé. Did she leave? No. So please, let’s talk about the reality we are facing,” she stated.
Reactions Trail Her Comments
Her comments have since ignited heated debates across social media, with some Nigerians agreeing with her cultural perspective while others accused her of normalising bad behaviour.
Instagram user @omah_licha_nwa wrote:
“Lol these are the enablers of bad behavior that we keep talking about but ok go off sis 👏.”
Another user @bjay_9ja added:
“But who fear DNA tests more?”
The debate continues to trend online, dividing opinions on whether Akintola’s views reflect reality or reinforce harmful stereotypes.
