Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele said after the first episode of her popular flick “Jenifer,” she was ready to move on, but it was music star D’banj who urged her to continue with the brand.
Akindele the highest earning actress and film maker in Nollywood was speaking during Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria, MIPAN, 2025 Media Sales Conference in Lagos. She noted that it was through hard work and God that she was able to make an impact in the Nigeria movie industry.
“Nobody made me a star, only God. I wrote my script, and that was it. The first ‘Jenifa’ was released in 2009, and that was the turning point.
“Amidst the buzz, a club owner reached out to host me at his club, and I met D’banj there. He asked what I was doing with the ‘Jenifa’ brand. I said, ‘I have moved on. I will do another thing.’ He said, ‘No. You have to milk it. It should not go like that. That’s a brand. Go and write another script.’ He gave me some money, and I went back and continued writing.”
Funke Akindele came into the limelight after starring in the popular sitcom I Need to Know, which ran from 1998 to 2002. Her big break came in 2008 when she starred in the movie Jenifa.
<b>Funke Akindele</b>