Filmmaker Funke Akindele has reflected on hard work, creativity, and perseverance after receiving multiple awards from the National Film and Video Censors Board.
The ceremony took place at the board’s South West Zonal Office in Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday, where she was honoured for her contributions to Nollywood and her films’ outstanding box office performance.
Speaking at the event, Funke shared the story behind producing her film Battle on Buka Streets:
“So when I did Battle on Buka Streets, and I produced it. I didn’t have the marketing money. I was, I didn’t have money on me. And I had to push it. So I just created this backdrop in my sitting room. And I put camera there and a speaker. I just create crazy things. Because I didn’t have money to market. I couldn’t do billboards. I didn’t have money for anything. I just kept pushing. This is one advice I have to give to creators of the building. Keep creating and own it. Don’t wait for it to have the perfect views, the numbers you’re waiting for. You just keep churning it out because people are hungry for content. But while doing it, don’t be desperate. Just do the right thing. What you see years after, you’ll be proud of.”
She also discussed her approach to work and staying consistent:
“For me, I will just continue being me. I’ll keep working hard. I love to work. I love hard work. People ask, how do you do it? Everything is around my work. My house, there is a studio there. It’s all about working, staying consistent, staying true to yourself, true to your work and your craft. I learn from competitors. Oh yes, I study my competitors. I look for mentors out there globally, internationally, I learn from them. Whatever I learn there, I still remember my brand. I still remember my own brand. I stay true to my craft. Originality is very important. And I’m someone that practices blue ocean marketing. Yes. So I love to do things out of the box, away from the norm.”
Funke also emphasised collaboration and supporting others in the industry:
“You know your strength. Find another person that their whole weaknesses are strength. Collaborate, work together. There’s no senior in this thing. So it’s all about hard work, dedication, prayer for me, and I will not stop. Then you need to keep up. You need to pull people up. What’s happening to all our colleagues that have been working? Let’s try to help because you see people, they are sad, they are unhappy, and they’re still doing other things. What are you doing to help them out of the mood? You say this one is bitter. She’s jealous of me. When you are there, pull people up. Do your own part and let God bless you.”
Funke also praised NFVCB Executive Director Shaibu Husseini, saying:
“So thank you so much, Uncle Shaibu. You came into the National Film Video Censors Board and I can see the changes. The changes, the positivity. Everything that you’re helping people down, you’re not victimizing. You’re growing, growing the platform, the board. You’re helping Nollywood. You’re correcting us lovingly. You’re supporting us, patting us at the back.”
She spoke about dancing as a source of joy and resilience:
“I love to dance naturally. I’m always dancing. I’m happy. I don’t like sadness. I always tell myself that God please, don’t let me be sad. Even when my mom passed on it was very difficult for me to mourn. It was last year I mourned. When it happened, I was trying to get out of it. I’m that kind of person. And I love to dance.”
In an interview, Funke said the recognition was meaningful: “It’s a big pat in the back saying ‘well done Funke’, and I must say I’m going to work harder.”
Among the guests at the ceremony were National Vice President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria Dayo Amusa, chairman of the Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria Mahmood Ali-Balogun, National President of the Association of Movie Producers Nigeria Blessing Ebigieson, entertainment executive Chioma Ude, and Vice President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria Grace Edwin-Okon.
Funke received awards for Excellence in Promoting Indigenous Films, Box Office Champion for Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Audience Choice for Everybody Loves Jenifa, and Box Office Champion for Behind The Scenes, recognising her as the highest-grossing filmmaker in 2025 and 2026.
Her earlier films, including Omo Ghetto: The Saga and Battle on Buka Streets, established her as one of Nollywood’s most commercially successful filmmakers. Funke stressed that originality, consistency, and collaboration remain central to the growth and sustainability of the industry.
