Funke Akindele Talks About Her Most Costly Film, 'Everybody Loves Jenifa'

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has called ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa her most costly film ever.

In an interview with CNN Africa journalist Larry Madowo, she talked about her journey in filmmaking, the success of her films, and her personal experiences that shaped her views.

The 49-year-old actress, who ran as the deputy governorship candidate for Lagos State in the 2023 elections, said filming in Ghana, moving the cast and crew across borders, and setting up locations in Nigeria raised production costs.

Akindele mentioned that they had to fly the whole cast and crew to Ghana, where they filmed some scenes at Safari Valley Resort, a high-end hotel.

“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 explained.

Beyond the international filming, Akindele shared that she likes to build her own sets instead of using people’s homes or other locations for her films.

“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 said.

Even with the high costs, the filmmaker noted that the production made back its money, performing well in cinemas and on streaming apps. She, however, did not share the film’s budget or the exact earnings from its online distribution.

Released in Nigerian cinemas on 13 December 2024, ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ quickly became one of the biggest hits in Nollywood. The film made over ₦1.4 billion within weeks of its release, breaking box-office records and eventually grossing around ₦1.88 billion.

Akindele co-directed the film with Tunde Olaoye. The cast includes Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Falz, Lateef Adedimeji, Layi Wasabi, Jackie Appiah, Omowunmi Dada, and Patience Ozokwor.

Set partly in Ghana, the comedy-drama follows Jenifa as she faces competition from a new neighbour. This neighbour's actions threaten to overshadow Jenifa's charity work. The story takes a turn when Jenifa and her friends stumble upon a dangerous drug operation during their time in Ghana.

Reflecting on how she created her famous character, Akindele said Jenifa started as a village girl aiming for success in the city, despite her limited education and unique English accent that got her mocked.

She explained that the character was made to show the dreams, challenges, and real-life situations of young people.

“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.

Akindele added that she hopes to do more than entertain. She wants to use her stories to tackle social issues and inspire 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 name. This film introduced viewers to Suliat, a village girl whose quest for success in Lagos led to funny situations.

The character’s strong accent, funny habits, social ambitions, and struggles in the city quickly connected with Nigerian audiences.

The film won Akindele the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 2009 Africa Movie Academy Awards, making her one of Nollywood’s well-known comic actresses.

She later continued the story in ‘The Return of Jenifa’ in 2011 and created the TV series ‘Jenifa’s Diary’, which started in 2015.

This TV show helped boost Jenifa’s popularity, turning her into one of the most famous fictional characters in Nigerian entertainment.