‘EVERYBODY LOVES JENIFA’ IS MY MOST EXPENSIVE FILM – FUNKE AKINDELE

By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed that Everybody Loves Jenifa is the most expensive movie she has produced, attributing the high production costs to filming in both Ghana and Nigeria and transporting cast and crew across the two countries.

The 49-year-old actress made this known during an interview with CNN Africa journalist Larry Madowo, which began trending on Monday. She spoke about her filmmaking career, professional achievements and personal experiences.

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Akindele explained that shooting scenes at Safari Valley Resort in Ghana, alongside the logistics involved in moving her production team between the two countries, significantly increased the film’s production expenses.

“Everybody Loves Jenifa is a very expensive film because we went to Ghana. We filmed in Ghana and Nigeria. We flew all the cast and crew to Ghana. We filmed in Safari Valley Resort. That is a very expensive place to film,” she said.

The filmmaker also disclosed that she prefers building customised sets for her productions rather than relying on existing locations or shooting in people’s homes.

“I build my set by myself. I don’t go to people’s houses to shoot. I create my set myself. I would rent out a place, or buy a place and start constructing my set there,” she added.

Despite the substantial production expenses, Akindele said the movie enjoyed commercial success in cinemas and on streaming platforms, although she did not reveal its production budget or earnings from digital distribution.

Released in Nigerian cinemas on December 13, 2024, Everybody Loves Jenifa became one of the country’s highest-grossing films, generating approximately N1.88bn at the box office.

Directed by Akindele and Tunde Olaoye, the comedy-drama featured actors including Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Falz, Lateef Adedimeji, Layi Wasabi, Jackie Appiah, Omowunmi Dada and Patience Ozokwor.

The movie follows Jenifa as she faces competition from a new neighbour while attempting to sustain her charitable activities. The storyline takes a dramatic turn when she and her friends encounter a dangerous drug operation during a visit to Ghana.

Reflecting on the creation of the popular character, Akindele said Jenifa was conceived as a village girl determined to achieve success in the city despite her limited education and unconventional command of English.

She explained that her intention was to develop a character whose ambition and determination would mirror the experiences of young people striving to achieve their dreams.

“I sat down and said to myself, let me create a character from the village that is a ‘wannabe’. She wants to be successful. She does not care if her accent is crazy. She wants to speak English,” she said.

The actress described storytelling as a powerful tool for entertaining audiences, addressing societal challenges and inspiring young people to believe in themselves.

“I see storytelling as a tool to show people what is happening in society, address ills and reach out to young people, to help them believe in themselves, because I am very passionate about young people,” she said.

Jenifa first appeared in the 2008 Yoruba comedy-drama film of the same title, which introduced audiences to Suliat, a village girl whose determination to succeed in Lagos often landed her in humorous situations.

The character’s exaggerated accent, unconventional mannerisms and ambition quickly endeared her to Nigerian audiences.

Akindele won the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 2009 Africa Movie Academy Awards for her performance in the film.

She later released The Return of Jenifa in 2011 and developed the television series Jenifa’s Diary, which premiered in 2015, further establishing the character as one of Nigeria’s most recognisable entertainment personalities.

Beyond her filmmaking career, Akindele also opened up about the emotional challenges of dealing with personal setbacks, particularly the public scrutiny surrounding her failed marriages.

The actress was first married to businessman Kehinde Oloyede in May 2012, but the marriage ended in July 2013.

She later married Nigerian rapper and filmmaker Abdulrasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz, in May 2016. The couple welcomed twin boys in December 2018.

However, their marriage ended in 2022 after JJC Skillz announced their separation in June of that year, revealing that they had experienced difficulties for about two years.

Speaking about the emotional burden of having her private life discussed publicly, Akindele said she sometimes withdrew to cry before gathering the strength to continue with her responsibilities.

“When I cry, I lock myself in the room, break down and cry. When I am done crying, I shake myself, wipe off my tears and come back to life,” she said.

She acknowledged that public scrutiny sometimes made her anxious about being judged for her personal decisions.

“Sometimes I tell myself, you’ve made a mistake again. People are going to judge you. And really, do you care about that? Brace up, do what is right, consider yourself, your mental health, and move on,” she added.

The actress also disclosed that her priorities had changed over the years, particularly her approach to balancing her professional commitments with personal happiness.

According to her, she spent much of her earlier years concentrating on work, often placing career responsibilities above her personal needs.

She said experience had taught her the importance of self-care and making her happiness a priority.

“Now I am more intentional about myself, making myself happy. I have noticed that over the years, it was not about myself. You need to take care of yourself,” she said.

Akindele added that professional achievements could come and go, but certain aspects of life required continuous attention.

“In the past, it used to be about work, work. But I have come to realise that work will come and go, but some things stay when the work is gone, and that is factual,” she said.