Actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele is celebrating her 48th birthday on Sunday (today).
Known to many as Jenifa after her hit sitcom and movie franchise, Funke has grown into one of Nigeria’s bankable entertainers.
Breakthrough Role
Her big break came in 2008 with the comedy film Jenifa, which later grew into the award-winning TV series Jenifa’s Diary. Today, Akindele runs Scene One Productions, the company behind several hit series and movies including Industreet and She Must Be Obeyed.
Political Foray
Funke Akindele’s step into politics began in July 2022, when she was unveiled as the Deputy Governorship candidate for Lagos State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
When election results came in after the 2023 general elections, the PDP ticket led by Olajide Adediran (Jandor) and Akindele was defeated by the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Undeterred, Akindele looked back on her political journey with no regrets. She described it as “amazing and insightful,” later reflecting that it had been a transformative chapter in her life.
Box Office Records
Beyond acting, Funke has become Nigeria’s undisputed box office queen. In 2020, her film Omo Ghetto: The Saga grossed N636 million, the highest ever at the time. She broke her own record in 2022 with Battle on Buka Street, which raked in about N668 million.
The following year, she made history again as A Tribe Called Judah became the first Nollywood film to cross N1 billion, eventually grossing N1.4 billion. Most recently, her 2024 film Everybody Loves Jenifa smashed all previous records, pulling in N1.882 billion to become the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time. With these feats, her productions have collectively earned over N5.2 billion, making her the most successful filmmaker in Nollywood history.
Awards
Her early accolades include winning Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2009 for Jenifa, alongside the Nigeria Entertainment Award in the same year for Best Actress. She also clinched Actress of the Year at the City People Awards.
Funke’s comedic brilliance has repeatedly earned her top honors at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). She holds the record for the most wins in the Best Actress in a Comedy category-five times-for The Return of Sheri Koko (2014), Jenifa’s Diary (2016 and 2017), Moms at War (2020), and Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2022).
Personal Life
On the personal front, Funke was once married to Kehinde Oloyede, and later to music producer Abdulrasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz. Both marriages ended in separation. She is a proud mother of twin boys born in December 2018.
From her rise as Jenifa to becoming Nollywood’s biggest box office name, Funke Akindele remains a force shaping the Nigerian entertainment industry.
