Funke Akindele claps back after Afolayan slams dancing for box office billions

Funke Akindele claps back after Afolayan slams dancing for box office billions

Nollywood filmmaker and actor Funke Akindele has responded to colleaguec over the heavy use of promotional dance, skits, and other marketing efforts to drive cinematic sales

Afolayan, speaking at the Lagos Business of Film Summit, described the promotional demands as draining. He said he does not want to release his cinema film if he requires dancing to sell tickets, he added. “As a filmmaker, you need to decide, Do you want to make films that travel to festivals, … or do you want to make commercial films and box office hits like Funke Akindele and everybody loves you but you’re in that zone and people love you.”

“We need to come up with other strategies. How do we sell without exhausting ourselves? I don’t know how the likes of Funke Akindele and others are doing it. Creating skits every day, changing costumes all the time. I can’t do it,” Afolayan added.

Akindele, known for her intensive marketing that includes digital posters, daily social media skits, and meet-and-greet events at cinemas address the remarks indirectly on Instagram. She wrote, “I’m not the one hindering your progress. Ka rin ka po, yiye ni n ye ni. If you can’t beat them or join them, create your own path. No allow jealousy burn you.”

She added that the industry has room for different approaches and urged Higher professionals for promotions.

Akindele’s strategy has produced strong results. Her 2023 film ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ became the first Nollywood movie to gross over N1 billion at the box office. Her recent film ‘Behind the Scenes’ surpassed N2 billion, making her the first Nigerian filmmaker to reach both the N1 billion and N2 billion marks.

This approach benefits distributors and exhibitors, who favor films with strong self-promotion. At the SMC filmmakers forum by the School of Media and Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Michael Williams, the general manager, EbonyLife Place, said that producers should always remember that the cinemas are also running a business and just like other businesses, they have to cover expenses, such as light bills, diesel purchases, etc.

Patrick Lee, head of operations at Viva Cinema Nigeria, said at the same webinar that there are times when a movie only brought in 50 ticket sales out of a possible 3000 tickets. All cinema heads including Ladun Awobukun, Chief Content Officer FilmOne Limited, and Funmi Onuma, General Manager Silverbird Cinema agreed that heavy marketing by the producers is encouraged and best for business.

Cinemas often grant Akindele more screening slots, especially during holiday periods, due to our marketing efforts that increase attendance and revenues for all parties. BusinessDay highlights how cinema revenues are shared among stakeholders here.

However, some filmmakers face challenges with showtimes. In December 2025, directors, including Niyi Akinmolayan, Ini Edo, and Toyin Abraham accused cinemas of unfair practices, such as not honoring agreed schedules, limiting screenings, or assigning poor time slots during the holiday rush, which reduced potential earnings.

The exchange highlights ongoing debating Nollywood about balancing commercial success through aggressive marketing against artistic control and sustain Particularly with cinemas versus streaming platforms. Afolayan has favored streaming deals, like those with Netflix, where promotion is less intense and creators retain more control. His recent series Aníkúlápó season 2 ‘The Ghoul Awakens’ was released on Netflix following successes of the first season and the original film.

The comments have divided opinions online, with some supporting Akindele’s hustle and others agreeing with Afolayan’s call for better industry practices. Blessing Uzzi, Nollywood filmmaker, wrote on X, “Envy is terrible. Face your front, do your own, Nollywood people!!! Tufiakwa!.”

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