'You have to tone your intellect down to succeed' — Deyemi Okanlawon on Nigeria's mediocrity problem

• Deyemi Okanlawon says mediocrity is often rewarded over professionalism in Nigeria.

• The actor said serious roles and conversations did little for his career until his breakthrough performance in Omo Ghetto: The Saga.

• His comments have resurfaced amid the ongoing "Olodo Uprising" debate sparked by rapper YCee's criticism of how Nigerian society rewards ignorance.

Nollywood actor and filmmaker Deyemi Okanlawon has claimed that mediocrity is more likely to guarantee success in Nigeria than professionalism.

Okanlawon made the comments in a resurfaced clip from a past episode of the Dear Ife podcast. The clip has resurfaced amid the ongoing "Olodo Uprising" conversation sparked by rapper YCee, who recently accused Nigerians of celebrating ignorance over intellectual depth.

In the clip, Okanlawon described Nigeria as a country where mediocrity thrives at the expense of excellence.

"In a country where mediocrity reigns, you can't be too serious. I was told that you can't be too professional to succeed in Nigeria. Those who act the most unserious succeed the most," he said. "I have realised that you have to tone your intellect down a lot to succeed here."

The podcast host, Ife, had pointed out that Okanlawon doesn't do many things, career-wise, that would make people think he "has sense."

He explained that early in his career, he tried having more intelligent, "uppity" conversations and taking on serious roles, but they did not generate much buzz.

He said his fortunes changed with Omo Ghetto: The Saga, a role he described as far from the most intellectually demanding, which went on to become one of the highest-grossing Nollywood films.

Okanlawon said the experience convinced him to keep pursuing similar roles going forward.

Okanlawon is a Nigerian actor, filmmaker, and producer, and Nollywood's highest-grossing actor for 2020 and 2021, according to FilmOne's Box Office Yearbook.

He is known for lead roles in Netflix titles including Blood Sisters, King of Boys: The Return of the King, and Elesin Oba: The King's Horseman, as well as commercial hits like Omo Ghetto: The Saga and Prophetess.

He holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Lagos and worked in sales, marketing, and baking before committing to acting full-time in 2013.

Okanlawon's comments arrive as Nigerians continue to debate YCee's "Olodo Uprising" remarks, in which the rapper argued that Nigerian society increasingly rewards viral, low-effort content over intelligence and academic excellence.

YCee's comments, which referenced TikTok streamer Peller, triggered a public back-and-forth between the two and split opinion online over whether professionalism and depth still matter for success in Nigeria's entertainment space.

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