‘How I locked myself up in Amen Estate for three years, built Jenifa brand’- Funke Akindele

Nigerian actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed personal sacrifices behind her career success and the rise of her ‘Jenifa’ brand.

The movie producer also disclosed the trajectory of her latest movie, ‘Behind The Scene’, which has emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood project.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Funke set a new Nollywood record with her 2025 film ‘Behind the Scenes’, which crossed the N2 billion mark at the box office, making it the first Nollywood film to achieve the milestone.

Speaking on ‘Nollywood On Radio’ on Saturday, a Seun Oluketi YouTube channel, the film producer insisted that her record-breaking box-office achievements are the result of years of unseen labour rather than ease or privilege.

She said, “Every challenge that I go through, they are behind the scenes. But you know, we have to keep that smile on our faces. I keep the work going. It’s a lot of work, and it takes years of hard work. to promote, and the fan base, years of Jennifer’s diary.

“I locked myself up for three years in Amen estates. No outing, no partying, three years, no friendship, nothing, no new clothes, no buying, buying, no holiday, no vacations. I was building the ‘Jennifa Brand’, back-to-back filming in the streets with my siblings, building the fan base. When I released the ‘Battle on Buka Street’, I didn’t have enough money for marketing.

The actress, famous for her role in ‘Jenifa’s Diary’, said that while her success brings fulfilment, it comes at a high cost.

“I was going through personal issues, challenges in my political career, my mum was sick, and marital issues. I couldn’t afford a studio, so I put a backdrop in my sitting room and danced every day. They don’t know the story. But I kept the fire burning. The message is very important to me,” she said.

Career price

Funke, who is regarded as the first filmmaker to rank No. 1 at the box office in Africa for three consecutive years, however, dismissed the idea that her success was effortless.

She argued that filmmaking remains a demanding, all-consuming commitment that requires constant involvement at every stage, from pre-production to post-production.

“It feels good to be successful, but it takes a lot of hard work. Good things don’t come easy. Filmmaking is my thing. I eat and sleep filmmaking. Personally, I do not think about what I’ll make. I always think about what I want to do, how I’m going to touch lives with my storytelling. The message was very important for me to pass.

“Everything is planned out. This is what I’m going to do, this is what I’m going to do, but things change along the line. Situations change, so plans change. I study my audience very well.

“I feel what will touch their lives, what is happening right now, or what has been happening for a long time that nobody has talked about. I treat that instantly. But I have everything planned. It’s what I do. I eat and sleep, and create film content,” the film producer said.

Behind the Scene

The filmmaker also explained the trajectory behind her record-breaking project, ‘Behind the Scene’, saying a separate film project was sacrificed for the success of the film.

Released on 12 December 2025, the ‘Behind the Scenes’ project emerged as the fastest film in West Africa to gross N1 billion at the movie box office.

Funke noted that she wrote and shot ‘Behind the Scenes’ to teach her audience how to look after themselves, expressing her commitment to telling African stories rather than accumulating prominent figures.

“I’ve said this before: the movie I was supposed to shoot was ‘A Tribe Called Judah Part Two’. But it was more like a spiritual message, and it was like, ‘No, no, no, that’s not what you’re going to shoot. You’re going to shoot this story.’

“The movie was a wake-up call for everyone to take care of themselves and love themselves. I felt lives would be saved if people watched this movie. That was what was on my mind all through.

“I just wanted to produce a perfect movie, like I always do, tell my African story. I didn’t plan for the numbers. I didn’t project it. I just wanted to do what was good, and all the goodies that come with it are coming, and will still come,” Funke said.

Young talents

Speaking about her collaborations with her colleagues in the Nollywood industry, Funke reiterated her filmmaking skills and expressed her desire to put more young Nollywood actors on the industry platform.

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“I’m a casting director. I know how to cast very well. And someone has to give young talents a chance. I wasn’t given that chance easily; I struggled. That’s why I’m passionate about upcoming talents.

“If we keep passing the baton of kindness, we’ll have more great talents to showcase internationally. It can’t be me all the time. Someone else has to step in.

“My mum used to say it’s not the amount of wealth you acquire, but the number of lives you touch. I’m tough, yes. I don’t take nonsense. You must be disciplined. Come to work, do the job. But I’m welcoming. We must give opportunities,” she concluded.