The Nollywood actor and reality TV star isn’t holding back as he calls out the hypocrisy behind the tired narrative used to drag successful women in Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
Uti Nwachukwu has never been one to shy away from speaking his truth, and this time, the Big Brother Africa winner stepped into a conversation that has been making serious waves online — and he came with fire.
It all started when popular content creator and actress Kemi Ikuseedun, widely known and loved as Mummy Wa, made a bold claim on a podcast. She stated that a large number of women in Nigeria’s entertainment industry have, at one point or another, engaged in transactional s*x to get ahead. As you can imagine, her words stirred the pot and got people talking from Lagos Island to Abuja’s Wuse Market.
But rather than pile on or add to the chaos, Uti Nwachukwu flipped the script entirely.
Uti’s Take: “Check Your Own Hands First”
The actor and TV personality came through with a perspective that many Nigerians — particularly women — are calling long overdue. According to Uti, the men who are loudest about accusing successful women of sleeping their way to the top are often the same ones who have done similar or worse things to climb whatever ladder they’re on.
In his characteristic no-nonsense style, he pointed out that these men are essentially angry that they didn’t “blow” the same way women did* — suggesting that beneath all the noise and moral policing is simply *jealousy wrapped in misogyny.
His message was clear: before a man opens his mouth to label a hardworking, successful woman a pros$titute, he should take a long, honest look at the corners he himself has cut and the compromises he has made on his own journey to success.
Why This Conversation Matters in Nigeria
Let’s be honest — this is not a new conversation in Nigeria. From Surulere to Port Harcourt, the moment a woman drives a nice car, lands a major deal, or rises quickly in her career, someone — usually a man — is already whispering, “She must be doing runs.”
It’s a narrative that has been used for generations to:
– Undermine women’s hard work and talent
– Keep women second-guessing their own success
– Shift attention away from the systemic barriers women overcome daily
– Silence women who might otherwise speak boldly about their achievements
Meanwhile, when men succeed through questionable means — and we all know this happens plenty — it’s hushed up, excused, or even celebrated as “hustling.”
The double standard is glaring, and Uti Nwachukwu is simply saying what many have been thinking but were afraid to voice.
The Internet Reacts
As expected, Nigerians took to social media to share their thoughts, and the reactions were as colourful and divided as a plate of jollof rice at a Lagos owambe:
– Many women praised Uti for speaking up and called him “a real one”
– Some men pushed back, insisting the original claims by Mummy Wa had merit
– Others pointed out that both men and women face exploitation in the entertainment industry and that the conversation needs to be more nuanced
– A few Twitter (now X) users dug up Uti’s past advocacy for women and LGBTQ+ issues, noting that his stance is consistent with his overall character
The Bigger Picture
What Uti Nwachukwu has done here is important — he has reminded us that holding successful women to a different moral standard than successful men is not a cultural value worth protecting. It is simply bias, plain and simple.
Nigeria is full of brilliant, talented, hardworking women who have built empires through grit, sleepless nights, creativity, and sheer determination. They deserve to be celebrated, not interrogated about how they got there.
And to the men pointing fingers? As Uti rightly suggests — your own story might not be as clean as you’d like people to believe.
What do you think about Uti Nwachukwu’s response? Do you agree that men who make these accusations are often projecting? Drop your thoughts in the comments below — let’s talk about it!
Explore more on buzzUp9ja
Be the first to comment