Nollywood actress Eniola Ajao has responded to criticism of her acting ability by movie critic Tolu Fagbure, insisting that she will continue working and developing her career.
Fagbure made the remarks during an interview on Agbaletu while discussing Ajao and her movie Ajakaju.
During the interview, the critic said he did not think Ajao should be taking movies to the cinema. He also placed her in the same category as actor Odunlade Adekola.
Fagbure went further by questioning Ajao’s acting talent and the quality of her performances.
He said her appearance was one of the things that stood out about her but argued that having a good appearance was not enough to establish acting ability.
The critic described her delivery as “plastic” and said he did not believe she had demonstrated the talent necessary to develop into a skilled actress.
When the interviewer suggested that the remarks were particularly harsh, Fagbure defended his position by explaining that he was simply expressing his personal opinion.
“That’s my opinion. My opinion is not sacrosanct; my opinion is not the end,” he said.
Ajao later addressed the criticism in a post shared on X.
The actress appeared to take the remarks in stride, joking about Fagbure’s assessment that her physical appearance was her biggest advantage.
“Ahhh, so my fine face is the only thing carrying me? After all these years?” she wrote.
Rather than engaging in a prolonged argument with the critic, Ajao said she would continue to focus on her career.
She explained that her approach would remain centred on working, improving herself and allowing movie audiences to make their own judgments about her performances.
“I will just keep doing what I know how to do: work, grow and let the audience decide,” she said.
The actress also drew a distinction between personal opinions and the process of establishing a lasting career.
“After all, opinions are free, but careers are built,” she added.
Ajao concluded by making it clear that criticism surrounding her acting or the performance of her movies in cinemas would not make her stop working.
“Cinema or no cinema, I’m not stopping anytime soon. Ire oo,” she stated.
The exchange has brought renewed attention to the relationship between Nollywood actors and film critics, particularly over differing views on acting quality and the suitability of movies for theatrical release.
