Veteran Nollywood actress, Bimbo Akintola, has made a bold and passionate statement on the issue of sexual harassment in Nigeria’s film industry, sparking renewed conversation around the responsibilities of parents, the vulnerability of young talents, and the systemic issues within the industry.
In a recent candid conversation on Oyinmomo, a Yoruba interview programme on YouTube, Akintola addressed the long-standing allegations of sexual misconduct in Nollywood, clarifying her personal stance and experiences. “I am not saying there is no sexual harassment,” she said. “But I never experienced it. For me, it is a story.”
The celebrated actress insisted that no one in the theatre industry forces anyone into sex, but that choices and boundaries matter.
She said, “It is a different thing how you present yourself. It is a different thing when you are looking for artists for a job. It is a different thing when you go to artists and ask them for work and they now use the opportunity to ask you for sex. If you don’t want, you don’t want. If you don’t want, you will rise and leave.”
While she acknowledged that harassment exists, particularly for younger aspiring actresses, Akintola placed a portion of the blame on parents who, she said, recklessly hand over their children to strangers in the name of chasing fame.
“Sexual harassment happens to the young people and I blame their parents. Some parents hand over their children to artists that they don’t really know. What do you think they do with your children? Why will you drop your children to the artists you don’t know? You can’t do that. Such parents should be in prison”, she stated
Akintola condemned the trend of underage children being sent to movie locations without supervision.
Akintola stated, “How can children of 13 years go to locations for two weeks? Why? That is child labour. Parents are pushing their children to go out and make money for them. Because you are looking for fame for your children, you now put them in situations they ought not to find themselves.”
She warned against blindly trusting people with one’s children pointing out, “You can’t trust anybody with your children. If you do, you are stupid. Ladies being raped are not raped by strangers, but those they know and trust.”
To address the deep-rooted problems, Akintola called for the creation of a task force made up of older actors and actresses, established actresses to help protect vulnerable newcomers in the industry.
Also commenting on upcoming actors and actresses, Akintola lamented how they are being treated adding, “The treatment for actors and actresses that have not made the name is bad.”
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