Actor Olaiya Igwe has said that Funke Akindele did not receive up to half of the money her films earned at the cinema, despite some grossing over N1 billion.
He spoke about this while explaining how revenue from cinema ticket sales is shared in the Nigerian film industry.
Olaiya said that although Funke’s films have grossed more than N1 billion at cinemas, she did not receive most of that money. “You hear about box office figures but most people don’t know that the money doesn’t go directly to the producer. The cinema will still deduct their percentage,” he explained.
He added, “Funke Akindele grossed over N1 billion at the cinema, yet she didn’t even receive up to 50% of that revenue. Femi Adebayo also made no profit from his film Jagun Jagun in cinemas.”
Industry figures note that box‑office success does not reflect producer earnings because cinemas and distributors take significant portions before producers are paid. Funke’s 2025 film Behind the Scenes grossed over N2 billion, becoming one of the highest‑earning Nollywood films.
