Nollywood actress and filmmaker Mary Njoku has weighed in on rapper Ycee’s controversial “olodo uprising” comment.
During a recent appearance on the Afropolitan podcast, Ycee lamented what he called an “olodo uprising,” pointing to the growing “Peller culture,” which he said rewards sensational online content over academic excellence.
Peller responded by calling the rapper “illiterate,” arguing that the same people Ycee labelled as “olodo” play a significant role in promoting music and driving the industry’s success.
Reacting in an Instagram post, Njoku said describing the trend as an “olodo uprising” overlooks the real problem, maintaining that it is a consequence of a system that no longer values or rewards education and academic achievement.
She said many highly educated Nigerians spend years earning degrees only to face unemployment, leaving many to prioritise survival by pursuing opportunities with less intellectual content.
The actress said people are simply adjusting to the realities around them, adding that the system, not individuals, should be held responsible for making education seem unrewarding.
“Stop calling it an ‘Olodo uprising’. What’s happening isn’t a celebration of ignorance. It’s the consequence of a country that has steadily devalued education, excellence, and intellectual achievement,” she wrote.
“You cannot expect people to spend years studying, graduate with first- class degrees, master’s degrees, even PhDs, and then struggle to find meaningful opportunities or earn a decent living.
“When survival becomes the priority, people will naturally go where the opportunities are. Don’t blame the people for adapting. Blame the system for making education feel like a bad investment.”
The filmmaker further added that the country risks undermining its future by failing to reward education, innovation and professional excellence.
Njoku argued that while other countries are advancing in artificial intelligence, robotics, and scientific research, Nigeria is placing greater value on hype than on knowledge, leaving many young people questioning whether education is worth the sacrifice.
“This is the slow death of intellectualism. A nation that stops rewarding its teachers, doctors, engineers, scientists, researchers, and innovators is quietly signing its own death warrant,” age added.
“No country has ever built lasting prosperity by making knowledge less valuable than hype. While the rest of the world is competing in artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, and advanced research, we’re busy creating an environment where many young people are beginning to question whether education is even worth the sacrifice. That should terrify us.
“The real crisis isn’t that some people are choosing different paths. The real crisis is that we’re producing a generation that no longer believes excellence pays. A society that makes intelligence optional and mediocrity profitable isn’t witnessing an ‘Olodo uprising’. It’s witnessing the slow death of its future.”
