Actress Biola Adebayo has opened up about her challenging journey, revealing how being a secondary school dropout shaped her life and fueled her drive for success.
In an interview with Seun Oloketuyi on ‘Nollywood on Radio’, Biola shared her story of overcoming financial struggles and denied opportunities, while keeping her passion for education alive.
“Education has always been important to me,” Biola explained.
“I dropped out of secondary school, but that only made me more determined. I faced many difficulties, including several missed admissions due to a lack of funds.
“But I never gave up because I felt there was always more to achieve.”
Biola’s perseverance has not only led her to success in the entertainment industry but also to a personal ethos of never settling for mediocrity. She emphasised that she constantly strives for improvement, regardless of her accomplishments.
“I don’t stop at any level of mediocrity. No matter the position I’m in, I believe there’s always room to do better. I never get too comfortable staying in one place—I’m always pushing myself to aim higher,” she added.
Addressing a common misconception, Biola also spoke about the notion that the Yoruba film industry is dominated by uneducated individuals.
She was quick to clarify that many educated actors have always been part of the industry, even if they weren’t university graduates.
“Even back then, we had a lot of educated people in the industry. Perhaps it seemed otherwise because there were more individuals without formal higher education at that time, but there have always been educated actors among us.
“In the past, many held school certificates rather than university degrees, but their English was often more polished than what we see today,” she concluded.
