Tekno Defends ‘Brain-Rot’ Comedy Trend, Says Nigerians No Longer Want Intelligent Content

Afrobeats singer Austine Kelechi, known as Tekno, has defended Nigeria’s current “brain-rot content” comedy wave — nicknamed the Olodo Uprising — arguing it entertains people far more than intellectual content ever has.

Speaking on Yanga FM Lagos, Tekno said comedy in Nigeria has never really been about intelligence, pointing to how much audiences loved Nollywood legends Nkem Owoh (Osuofia) and John Okafor (Mr Ibu) specifically for their goofiness rather than wit.

“Intellectual no dey work again,” he said, adding that he can watch comedian Carter Efe for hours purely because of how entertainingly over-the-top he is — much like audiences once watched Osuofia and Mr Ibu.