By Tonia Okereke
Popular actress and producer Funke Akindele, also known as ‘Jenifa’ is ending the year on a high note as her latest offing, ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ hits N1bn Box Office record.
In a post on X.com on Monday, Akindele revealed that ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa; has become the second Nollywood film to hit the N1 billion mark within the last 12 months, achieving a cumulative total of ₦1,034,091,220.
The star-studded flick has also made history by becoming the fastest Nollywood title to reach the N1 billion threshold, doing so in just 19 days.
The film emerged fans’ favourite as it dominated the December box office, accounting for about 40% of the total revenue with 202,604 admissions.
Akindele noted that this success has solidified her position as the “highest-grossing producer and director,” with her holding the record for the “top 4 highest-grossing Nollywood films.”
The actress also known for other hits like ‘Omo Ghetto’ and ‘Tribe Called Judah” expressed gratitude to her fans, saying, “God did! Thank you, Jenifans, for supporting Everybody Loves Jenifa!
“We couldn’t have gotten here without you.”
“We’re excited for what’s to come with this massive win. Keep watching in all cinemas nationwide!” She added.
‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ is also making waves overseas.
Just eight days after its international debut on December 20, the film has earned an impressive $194,560 (approximately N300 million) across various countries outside Africa, including the UK, US, Canada, and other regions.
Akindele starred in the sitcom I Need to Know from 1998 to 2002 and in 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role,[for her role in Jenifa, which brought her to fame. Akindele reprised the role in 2011 sequel The Return of Jenifa and 2015 soft reboot television series titled Jenifa’s Diary for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 and 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Akindele won the same award in 2020 and 2022, making it her fifth win for the Best Actress in a Comedy category. Akindele is the most nominated actress/filmmaker at the AMVCA and holds the record for most wins for an actress with six. She is the second director to gross over a billion naira at box office and is currently the Highest-Grossing Director in Nigerian Box Office with a total gross of over ₦2.9 billion.
In 2022, she was nominated by the People’s Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, as the running mate for the 2023 Lagos state governorship election.
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