Popular Big Brother Naija director, Gbenga Kayode, has dismissed claims that the reality television show was created to distract Nigerians, particularly young people, from political and national issues.
The reality show has long faced criticism from some Nigerians who allege it is strategically scheduled to divert public attention, especially during election periods.
Speaking on a recent episode of the CreativiTea podcast, Kayode rejected the allegations, insisting that the programme was never conceived as a political tool or a means of distracting the public.
According to him, the concept of Big Brother Naija is simply to observe how people interact when placed together in a controlled environment, with no political agenda attached.
“To be very honest, we never approach Big Brother Naija show from the angle of politics or distraction. People definitely have assumptions that are not true.
“The idea is basically if you put people in this space under these conditions, what will happen? How the people would react, we don’t know. It has nothing to do with politics or distracting people,” Kayode said.
He also dismissed criticisms describing the show as part of an “Olodo uprising” that encourages illiteracy, maintaining that all previous winners of Big Brother Naija are university graduates.
