Nollywood actor and filmmaker Jide Awobona has hit back at critics who misconstrued the message of his film Rise With Me, calling out what he described as hypocrisy and a refusal to appreciate local storytelling.
In a frank discussion on the Conversations With Kenni podcast hosted by Kehinde Ajose, Awobona expressed frustration over the judgment he received for playing a female role.
“The only painful thing is people like to judge a book by its cover. If it was a South African or American movie, they wouldn’t say anything. We don’t appreciate our own and we’re hypocrites in this part of the world.”
He revealed that some people even suggested the story would have been better as a skit. Awobona firmly rejected that idea and clarified his intention.
“I’m using the film for advocacy. I did it to say something. To educate and inform. When are we going to be serious? It’s okay if I cross dress to make you laugh, but it’s not okay if I do it in a film? I’m an actor. This is just another role and people are having issues with it.”
The star urged audiences to separate the performer from the character.
“Stop seeing me in the characters I play. That’s not Jide Awobona anymore, that’s the character. Focus on the message and ignore who’s delivering it. I think that’s our problem here. We have problems with people.”
Rise With Me, released on YouTube in late 2025, features Awobona in a dramatic role as a woman dealing with personal struggles including fertility challenges. He has consistently described the project as advocacy material meant to highlight women’s resilience, the need for mutual support among women, and available options for those facing conception difficulties.
Awobona did not hold back on those who failed to grasp the deeper intent.
“My projects are for very smart and intelligent people. If you’re dumb and shallow minded, it’s not for you. You can have good mastery of grammar and still be dumb.”
He noted that the film still found appreciation among women and beyond Nigeria.
“I got some DMs from women overseas who loved the movie.”
His comments underscores conversations about artistic freedom and the tendency to attack local creators more harshly than foreign ones. While the initial backlash was intense, Awobona continues to stand by the work as purposeful storytelling rather than mere entertainment.