Funke Akindele, Nigeria’s undisputed Queen of the Box Office, has once again proven why she holds the crown. Her latest film, Everybody Loves Jenifa, has hit the billion-naira mark, bringing in 1,034,091,022, making it the second film within a year to break this record. For those of us keeping track, the first billion-naira film in the past 12 months was also hers, A Tribe Called Judah
It’s not just about the numbers, though, it’s about the sheer dominance Funke Akindele has carved in Nollywood. She now holds the title of the highest-grossing producer and director of all time, and if that wasn’t enough, she’s the proud owner of the top four highest-grossing Nollywood films. The success of Everybody Loves Jenifa is nothing short of mind-blowing, accounting for 40% of the December box office alone with 201,604 admissions. What’s even more impressive is that this movie reached the 1-billion-naira milestone in a mere 19 days.
We are not shocked that Funke is labeled a trailblazer. Not just because of her consistent ability to deliver hits, but also because she has raised the bar for what Nollywood can achieve. For all those who once doubted whether it was possible for Nollywood films to match international standards, Funke Akindele has done it. What a woman!
