Funke Akindele fires back at Kunle Afolayan over comments on box office profits

Renowned Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has reacted to comments made by her colleague, Kunle Afolayan, regarding cinema profit margins, box office figures and contemporary film marketing strategies.

Afolayan, in a series of recent public engagements, openly questioned the sustainability and personal profitability of current cinema marketing approaches in Nollywood.

Speaking during the launch of his film Aníkúlápó, the award-winning filmmaker argued that box office milestones such as N1 billion or N2 billion do not necessarily translate into financial rewards for filmmakers.

“There is no competition between us. I don’t just want N1 billion or N2 billion in the cinema that I won’t be able to personally receive N10 million from,” Afolayan said.

He further expanded on his views during an appearance at the Lagos Business of Film Summit, where he expressed reservations about the intensive promotional culture associated with cinema releases.

According to him, he prefers marketing strategies that do not require constant skit-making, dancing, or frequent costume changes to attract audiences.

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“I want to make a film if you can guarantee I don’t have to dance to sell. We need to come up with other strategies. How do we sell without exhausting ourselves? I don’t know how the likes of Funke Akindele and others are doing it—creating skits every day, changing costumes all the time. I can’t do it,” he said.

Afolayan’s remarks sparked widespread reactions within the industry, especially as they came amid recent box office records set by actresses Toyin Abraham and Funke Akindele, whose films have grossed between N1 billion and N2 billion in Nigerian cinemas.

Responding via her Instagram story, Akindele dismissed Afolayan’s comments and suggested they were driven by jealousy rather than genuine concern. The actress emphasized that no one was responsible for holding back another person’s success.

“I’m not the one hindering your progress. Ka rin ka po, yiye ni n ye ni,” she wrote, using a Yoruba proverb to stress personal responsibility.

She urged her colleague to focus on innovation rather than comparison, adding that the creative space is large enough for everyone to succeed.

“If you can’t beat them or join them, create your own path. No allow jealousy burn you. The sky is so big for everybody to fly. You can do it! The opportunities are endless, and everyone has their own path. I’m focused on mine, and I have faith in God’s plan for me,” Akindele stated.

She also advised filmmakers to explore alternative promotional methods or engage professional marketing firms instead of criticizing those who choose hands-on promotion.

“Go ahead and create alternative promotion or marketing strategies for promoting your business, or hire a company to handle it,” she added.

The exchange has reignited debate within Nollywood over profitability, marketing pressure and the evolving dynamics of cinema success, highlighting differing philosophies among some of the industry’s biggest names.