Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has reflected on the sacrifices behind the success of the Jenifa franchise, saying building the brand required years of discipline, intense work, and the loss of a normal social life.
The actress spoke at WemaIWD2026, an event organised by Wema Bank as part of activities marking International Women’s Day.
The session, which also featured media personality Morayo Brown, focused on the realities women face while building successful careers.
According to Akindele, while many people celebrate the financial success associated with her work today, the journey behind the Jenifa brand demanded significant personal sacrifice.
“We are all seeing the billions, we are all saying congratulations,” she said. “But what it costs to be sitting here today is a lot.”
She explained that at the peak of building the brand, she deliberately withdrew from social life to focus on her work.
Akindele recalled spending nearly two years secluded in Amen Estate in Lagos while developing the project that later grew into one of Nollywood’s most successful franchises.
“I remember locking myself up in Amen Estate for almost two years, just building the Jenifa brand,” she said.
During that period, she handled several responsibilities across the production process, including writing scripts, producing, directing and acting while also supervising multiple departments.
“I was writing, producing, directing, playing Jenifa, supervising every department, just to grow the brand,” she said.
According to her, her intense focus on work drew criticism from colleagues who questioned why she rarely attended social gatherings.
“My colleagues would be so mad at me. They would say, ‘You don’t go to people’s parties, what is wrong with you?’ Some even called me a sadist,” she said.
Akindele noted that while others saw her absence from social events, she was investing her time and energy into building a creative brand she believed in.
From film to Nollywood franchise
The Jenifa story first began in 2008 with the release of the comedy-drama film Jenifa which introduced audiences to the humorous and often exaggerated character of a village girl navigating life in the city.
The film became popular and earned Akindele the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009.
Following the success of the original film, the actress returned with a sequel, The Return of Jenifa, which quickly became one of Nollywood’s fastest-grossing films shortly after its release in October 2011.
The character later evolved into a television series, Jenifa’s Diary, which premiered in 2015 and became one of Nigeria’s most popular comedy series.
The franchise continued to grow with several productions centred around the character, eventually leading to the release of Every Loves Jenifa in December 2024.
The film achieved major box office success, crossing the ₦1 billion mark within 19 days of release and later grossing over ₦1.4 billion, making it the highest-grossing Nollywood film at the time.
The record was later surpassed by another film produced by Akindele, Behind the Scenes, which has crossed the ₦2 billion mark at the Nigerian box office.
Celebrating women’s achievements
International Women’s Day celebrated annually on March 8, recognises the achievements of women across various sectors while highlighting the need for gender equality and increased opportunities for women.
In recent years, many organisations use the period to organise conversations, mentorship programmes and networking events focused on women’s leadership and empowerment.
