Renowned Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola has sparked intense debate with her candid remarks on infidelity and polygamy in Nigerian society, arguing that these behaviors are deeply rooted in cultural and generational patterns.

During a recent podcast conversation with actress Ayo Adesanya, Akintola made the startling claim that an overwhelming majority of Nigerian men — “90 to 99%” — are unfaithful in relationships. She attributed this to a normalization of infidelity that stretches back across generations of men in her family.

“The majority of our men cheat. Your father cheated, your grandfather cheated. My father has two wives… 90 percent of them cheat, it’s engraved in them.”

She added, “I don’t know where this idea of fidelity in Africa came from.”   

Akintola elaborated that many men grow up watching their fathers engage in unfaithful behavior and internalize it as part of masculinity. She cited the example of boys accompanying their fathers to visit girlfriends, implying that such early exposure shapes adult behavior.

 

“I hear characters are fully formed when you’re seven years old. Some of them started by following their daddy to girlfriends’ house.”

But she clarified, “I’m not excusing it, don’t get me wrong. I am just being realistic.”

Akintola’s observations have prompted a range of responses on social media. Fans of realism applaud her bold honesty about cultural norms, while critics argue her sweeping generalization reduces complex social behavior to inevitability.

One commentator on Promise Media’s Nairaland forum captured the controversy:

“Veteran Nollywood actress Bimbo Akintola… claimed that cheating is deeply rooted in Nigerian culture, going as far as to say that ‘90 to 99% of men cheat by default.’”

“The reality is 90 to 99% of our men cheat, it’s ingrained in them.”

Akintola’s comments shed light on how deeply infidelity and polygamy are intertwined with cultural norms and gendered expectations in Nigeria. Her views suggest that fidelity often clashes with societal definitions of masculinity, especially in contexts where historical polygamy and patriarchal legacies persist.

 

On Reddit, similar frustrations emerged among users who see these attitudes as part of a broader cultural tolerance:

 

“A LOT of Nigerian men cheat… there are no consequences… they cheat boldly.”

“Nigerian society actually tolerates men’s adultery… ‘our fathers did it’…”

 

These comments echo Akintola’s assertion that the lack of societal repercussions reinforces the cycle of cheating behavior.