Influencer rejected my paid offer before my movie grossed N1bn – Funke Akindele
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed how an unnamed social media influencer rejected her offer of payment to promote Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that eventually grossed ₦1.88 billion at the box office.
Akindele disclosed the experience during a panel discussion at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), where she spoke about the challenges of promoting films and securing influencer partnerships.
The filmmaker said she had initially hesitated to approach the influencer but eventually sent a message proposing a paid content collaboration during the promotional campaign for the 2024 film.
However, after waiting several days for a response, she was informed that the influencer’s management was not interested in the arrangement.
“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 recalled.
According to Akindele, she made it clear that she was willing to pay for the promotional content, but the influencer subsequently ignored her.
She also revealed that she later encountered claims suggesting she had blocked someone following the disagreement.
The actress did not disclose the influencer’s identity or provide further details about the alleged blocking incident.
Despite the rejection, Akindele said she refused to allow the experience to distract her from promoting the film.
“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.
She encouraged creatives to remain focused on their ambitions and learn to distinguish constructive criticism from comments intended to discourage them.
*Everybody Loves Jenifa* went on to become a major commercial success, grossing approximately ₦1.88 billion and setting a West African box-office record at the time.
The achievement added to Akindele’s impressive run in Nigerian cinema.
Her earlier film, *A Tribe Called Judah*, became the first Nollywood production to cross the ₦1 billion mark at the Nigerian box office in January 2024.
Her 2025 release, *Behind the Scenes*, subsequently surpassed ₦2 billion, establishing another milestone for Nollywood.
Akindele’s account highlights the rejection she encountered while promoting a film that ultimately became one of the biggest commercial successes of her career.