Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele following the record-breaking box office performance of her latest film, Behind the Scenes, which has crossed the ₦2 billion mark.

Sanwo-Olu shared the message in a post on his Instagram page after attending a private viewing of the film. He described the achievement as a major win for Akindele and a historic moment for Nigeria’s creative industry.

“I had the pleasure of attending a private viewing of Behind the Scenes, and I want to congratulate Funke Akindele and her entire team,” the governor wrote. “It is one thing to make a film, but it is another thing entirely to truly capture the heart of a nation. Seeing this work cross the ₦2 billion mark at the box office is a major win for Funke and a historic moment for the Nigerian creative industry.”

Sanwo-Olu praised Akindele’s dedication to filmmaking and her ability to tell stories that resonate with a wide audience. He said her success had set a new benchmark for Nollywood and showed that local stories could achieve global success.

“Funke, your dedication to your craft and your ability to tell stories that resonate so deeply with our people are truly inspiring. You have set a new standard for what is possible in Nollywood, proving that with focus, grit, and vision, our local stories can achieve global success,” he added.

Behind the scenes recently became the first Nollywood film to cross the ₦2 billion box office mark, with its distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, announcing that the movie had grossed ₦2.407billion.

The governor’s congratulatory message is significant given their recent political history.

In the 2023 Lagos State governorship election, Akindele ran as the deputy governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alongside Abdulazeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor. The pair contested against Sanwo-Olu, who was seeking re-election and eventually won the poll.

Beyond politics, Akindele has remained one of Nollywood’s most influential figures, though her career has not been without controversy.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, she was widely criticised online after hosting a party at her Lagos residence to celebrate the birthday of her then husband, Abdulrasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz.

The gathering sparked public outrage at a time when strict lockdown measures were in place to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Following the backlash, Akindele defended the party, saying that everyone in attendance had been living in her house for several days and that no one came from outside to join the celebration. “Nobody came from their house to party with us,” she said in a video shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account.

Despite the explanation, Akindele and her husband pleaded guilty to violating lockdown restrictions in a Lagos court, according to a statement by the Lagos State Police.

The couple were fined and ordered to carry out 14 days of community service. As part of the punishment, they were directed to visit 10 important public places in Lagos to educate residents on the consequences of not complying with government restriction orders.