‘Cinema Or No Cinema, I’m Not Stopping’ — Eniola Ajao Fires Back at Critic

Nollywood actress Eniola Ajao has declared that she will not abandon her acting career despite harsh criticism from movie critic Tolu Fagbure.

Fagbure recently criticised Ajao’s acting abilities during an interview on Agbaletu, arguing that she had no business taking a movie to the cinema.

The critic was asked to give his opinion about Ajao and responded by questioning the quality of her acting.

Fagbure specifically referred to Ajao’s movie Ajakaju and said he did not believe she had a place in the cinema. He also compared her to fellow actor Odunlade Adekola.

He further claimed that Ajao’s appearance was her strongest advantage, while questioning her ability to translate talent into acting skill.

According to him, the actress had a “fine face” but what he described as “plastic delivery.” He said he did not consider her performances to demonstrate sufficient acting talent.

The interviewer asked whether the assessment was excessively harsh.

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Fagbure maintained that he was expressing his personal opinion and stressed that his view was not an unquestionable authority.

“That’s my opinion. My opinion is not sacrosanct; my opinion is not the end,” he said.

Ajao subsequently responded through a post on X, appearing unfazed by the criticism.

The actress questioned the suggestion that her physical appearance was the only factor supporting her career.

“Ahhh, so my fine face is the only thing carrying me? After all these years?” she wrote.

She then said she would continue focusing on her work and personal development rather than allowing individual opinions to determine her career.

“I will just keep doing what I know how to do: work, grow and let the audience decide,” Ajao said.

She added that while people were entitled to their opinions, building a career required sustained effort.

“After all, opinions are free, but careers are built,” she wrote.

Ajao concluded her response by making it clear that neither criticism nor the commercial performance of a film in cinemas would force her to quit acting.

“Cinema or no cinema, I’m not stopping anytime soon. Ire oo,” she stated.

The exchange has attracted attention within Nollywood, with the comments sparking discussions about the role of critics and how actors respond to negative assessments of their work.