Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello was born on August 24 1977; she hails from Ikorodu in Lagos State. She is popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa.She is a filmmaker, actress, director, producer and of late, a politician who contested on the banner of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to become the deputy governor of Lagos State, Nigeria’s richest and most progressive state.
Akindele’s journey into the world of make believe started when she starred in the sitcom ‘I Need to Know from 1998 to 2002’.
Funke Akindele
In 2009, she won the late Peace Osigwe founded Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA) for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her interpretation of her character in Jenifa, which brought her into acting limelight. Akindele reprised the role in a 2015 television series adaption 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. She is the most nominated actress/filmmaker at the AMVCA and currently owns six wins, which makes her the actress with most wins.
She is the second director to gross over a billion naira at the Nigeria box office and also the Highest grossing Nigerian Director in Nigerian Box Office with a total Gross of over ₦2.6 billion .
Her latest movie, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ has grossed over a billion naira in ticket sales and still selling.
Both the president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwolu-Olu have sent goodwill messages to her despite their political differences.
Akindele deserves a national award for her accomplishment.
