Funke Akindele reveals why ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ cost so much to produce

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed that Everybody Loves Jenifa is the most expensive film she has produced, citing the cost of filming in Ghana and Nigeria and transporting cast and crew between the two countries.

The 49-year-old actress made the revelation in an interview with CNN Africa journalist Larry Madowo, which began trending on Monday. She also discussed her filmmaking career, the success of her productions and the personal challenges she has faced.

Akindele said filming at Safari Valley Resort in Ghana, alongside the logistics of moving her production team across borders, significantly increased the film’s production costs.

“Everybody Loves Jenifa is a very expensive film because we went to Ghana. We filmed in Ghana and Nigeria. We flew all the cast and crew to Ghana. We filmed in Safari Valley Resort. That is a very expensive place to film,” she said.

She explained that she prefers to construct sets specifically for her productions rather than rely on existing locations or people's homes.

“I build my set by myself. I don’t go to people’s houses to shoot. I create my set myself. I would rent out a place, or buy a place and start constructing my set there,” she added.

Despite the high production costs, Everybody Loves Jenifa performed strongly in cinemas, grossing approximately N1.88 billion at the Nigerian box office after its release on December 13, 2024.

Directed by Akindele and Tunde Olaoye, the comedy-drama featured actors including Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Falz, Lateef Adedimeji, Layi Wasabi, Jackie Appiah, Omowunmi Dada and Patience Ozokwor.

The film follows Jenifa as she faces competition from a new neighbour while continuing her charitable activities. The story takes a dramatic turn when she and her friends encounter a dangerous drug operation during a visit to Ghana.

Reflecting on the character’s origins, Akindele said she conceived Jenifa as a village girl determined to succeed in the city, despite her limited education and unconventional command of English.

“I sat down and said to myself, let me create a character from the village that is a ‘wannabe’. She wants to be successful. She does not care if her accent is crazy. She wants to speak English,” she said.

Jenifa first appeared in the 2008 Yoruba comedy-drama Jenifa, which introduced audiences to Suliat, a village girl whose ambition to succeed in Lagos often led to humorous situations.

The character’s exaggerated accent, unconventional mannerisms and social ambitions quickly gained popularity among Nigerian audiences. Akindele won the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 2009 Africa Movie Academy Awards for her performance.

She later released The Return of Jenifa in 2011 and developed the television series Jenifa’s Diary, which premiered in 2015, further establishing the character as one of Nigeria’s recognisable entertainment personalities.

Akindele said she sees storytelling as a way to entertain audiences while addressing social issues and inspiring young people.

“I see storytelling as a tool to show people what is happening in society, address ills and reach out to young people, to help them believe in themselves, because I am very passionate about young people,” she said.

Akindele opens up about personal struggles

The actress also spoke about the emotional challenges of dealing with personal setbacks, particularly the public attention surrounding her marriages and divorce.

She was first married to businessman Kehinde Oloyede in May 2012, but the marriage ended in July 2013.

In May 2016, she married Nigerian rapper and filmmaker Abdulrasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz. They welcomed twin boys in December 2018, but their marriage ended in 2022.

Speaking about the emotional toll of having her private life discussed publicly, Akindele said she sometimes withdrew to cry before gathering the strength to continue with her responsibilities.

“When I cry, I lock myself in the room, break down and cry. When I am done crying, I shake myself, wipe off my tears and come back to life,” she said.

She acknowledged that public scrutiny sometimes made her worry about being judged for her personal decisions.

“Sometimes I tell myself, you’ve made a mistake again. People are going to judge you. And really, do you care about that? Brace up, do what is right, consider yourself, your mental health, and move on,” she added.

Akindele said her priorities had changed over the years, particularly in how she balanced her career with her personal happiness.

She explained that she had previously focused heavily on work, often placing professional commitments ahead of her personal needs, but had since become more intentional about taking care of herself.

“Now I am more intentional about myself, making myself happy. I have noticed that over the years, it was not about myself. You need to take care of yourself,” she said.

“In the past, it used to be about work, work. But I have come to realise that work will come and go, but some things stay when the work is gone, and that is factual,” she added.