D’banj gave me money, advised me to make ‘Jenifa’ a brand - Funke Akindele

Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele has opened up about singer D’banj’s important role in her rise to stardom.

Although Funke declared that only God can be credited for her immense success in her career, she recounted how D’banj played a key role in helping her make the big step up in her career.

The actress revealed previously unknown details about her career while speaking at the 2025 Media Sales Conference of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) in Lagos.

She noted that her success in the film industry was the result of her hard work and commitment.

However, she recounted the key role D’banj played in her career, which marked a turning point.

She said, “Nobody made me a star, only God. I wrote my script, and that was it. The first ‘Jenifa’ was released in 2009, which was the turning point.

“Amidst the buzz, a club owner reached out to host me at his club, and I met D’banj there.

“He asked what I was doing with the ‘Jenifa’ brand. I said, ‘I have moved on. I will do another thing.’ He said, ‘No. You have to milk it. It should not go like that. That’s a brand. Go and write another script.’ He gave me some money, and I went back and continued writing.”

The actress took D’banj’s advice and has since made several instalments in the Jenifa franchise, the latest being the record-breaking Everybody Loves Jenifa, released on December 13, 2024.

A feature sequel followed the first instalment of the Jenifa franchise released in 2008, The Return of Jenifa, released in 2011 before a soft reboot television series, Jenifa's Diary, was launched in 2015.

The original series was followed by two sequels, Aiyetoro Town in 2019 and Jenifa on Lockdown in 2021.

Since the Jenifa franchise, Funke has not looked back. Thanks largely to the Jenifa franchise, she has become the Queen of the Nigerian box office and holds the record as the highest-grossing producer in Nigerian cinema.