Jaiye Kuti highlights education’s importance, but insists talent is key to success

Popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Jaiye Kuti, has emphasized that while education is valuable, natural talent remains a powerful force in the entertainment industry.

Speaking during an interview with The Nation on the role of formal education in show business, Kuti noted that being uneducated does not equate to being unimportant. According to her, some individuals possess exceptional gifts that cannot be taught in schools but are essential in the entertainment space.

“As much as education is important, it doesn’t mean that those that are uneducated are not important,” she said.

The veteran actress highlighted the unique skills some uneducated individuals bring to the creative industry, referencing traditional performers who excel without formal training.

"For instance, some of them have a lot of gifts that people that are not educated can not do. I can not chant, and there are some things that I can not do, but there are some body language and facial reactions that when these babas give you, they will deliver a hundred percent. They didn’t read it in books, and they didn’t go to school for it, but they are so good at it,” she added.

Jaiye Kuti further stressed that in the world of entertainment, natural ability often outweighs academic qualifications, stating that success in the industry is driven by one’s innate skills rather than formal education.

"When it comes to entertainment, it doesn’t really have to be education; it has to be what you got inside of you,” she noted.