“You can never catch me saying I’m not a nepo baby” – Temi Otedola

Nigerian actress, Temi Otedola has said she will never deny being a “nepo baby,” arguing that acknowledging the advantages that come from family connections does not diminish an individual’s achievements.

Speaking on a recent episode of The How Far Podcast, which she co-hosts with her husband, Mr Eazi, Temi shared her views on privilege and the ongoing conversation around nepotism.

According to her, privilege extends beyond fame and includes growing up with opportunities such as financial stability, education and a supportive environment.

“So this is my take on it. You don’t have to be famous to be privileged. I feel like privilege is purely growing up in a circumstance where your parents made a certain amount of money, you didn’t have to struggle, and you had access to education, food and a foundation in life that not everybody gets,” she said.

Temi explained that nepotism, particularly in the entertainment industry, involves receiving opportunities through family connections that others may not have access to.

“If our kid wanted to be an artist, you would introduce them to a producer and you would do their music video. That is an unfair advantage. That is nepotism,” she said.

Temi, who is the daughter of billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, said she finds it surprising when people refuse to admit the role privilege has played in their success.

“You can never catch me, on camera or off camera, saying I’m not a nepo baby. I find it crazy when people don’t admit to the advantage. It would be so unfair to say that,” she said.

Temi stressed that acknowledging privilege does not erase the effort people put into building their careers.

“At the end of the day, I was given a leg up and I’ve made the most of it. I don’t know why it’s so hard for people to say that. I think it’s because they feel it discounts what they’ve achieved in life.
“I definitely got lots of privileges as a result of the hard work that came before me,” she added.