Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, shared how a social media influencer turned down her offer to pay for promotional content for her 2024 film, Everybody Loves Jenifa.
Akindele revealed this during a panel session at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND). She talked about her experiences with influencer partnerships and the difficulties she faces when promoting her projects.
She mentioned that she was not sure about reaching out to the influencer at first. But she eventually sent a message asking for a collaboration during the film’s promotion.
She said she waited several days before getting a response saying that the influencer’s management was not interested.
"There was one influencer I reached out to. I sent a message to them that I would like to create content. One, two, three, four times a week. And I didn’t want to send this message. This was during Everybody Loves Jenifa, but I tried," she said.
Akindele explained that she offered to pay for the promotional content, but the influencer did not reply.
"The person was like, ‘I’m sorry, my management, they don’t want me to do this.’ The person was like, ‘Oh, please, I’m paying. I’m paying.’ The person ignored me," Akindele said.
The filmmaker later heard rumors that she blocked someone over this disagreement, but she did not name the person or give more details about those claims.
She said this experience did not stop her from seeking promotional partnerships. Instead, she learned to deal with rejection without letting it get her down.
"I didn’t let it affect me. I embraced it. I didn’t go and reply. I just said, God, take control. I got back to it," she said.
Akindele also advised people to tell the difference between constructive criticism and discouragement. She urged them to stay focused on their goals, even when faced with negative comments.
The filmmaker has enjoyed major box office success in recent years. Her 2023 film, Battle on Buka Street, made about N640 million. A Tribe Called Judah became the first Nollywood film to earn over N1 billion at the Nigerian box office in January 2024.
Later in the year, Everybody Loves Jenifa earned about N1.88 billion, making it the highest-grossing film in West Africa at that time.
Her 2025 film, Behind the Scenes, also surpassed N2 billion, setting a new box office record for African cinema.
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