Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele (born August 24, 1977) popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was derived from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jo ...

filmmaker, actress, director, producer,

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, and realtor.Funsho Akinwale
Funke Akindele gives first glimpse of her twins
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' Akindele starred in the

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' 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 Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

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 the box office and is currently the Highest-Grossing Director in Nigerian Box Office with a total gross of over ₦4.7 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. During the

World AIDS Day World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immu ...

commemoration in December 2024, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) appointed her as the National Goodwill Ambassador for Nigeria. Her role will be key in driving positive impact and progress in the promotion of HIV prevention across Nigeria.

Early life and education

Akindele was born on August 24, 1977, in

Ikorodu Ikorodu is a city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the north-east of Lagos, along the Lagos Lagoon and shares boundary with Ogun State. With a population of over 1 million inhabitants, Ikorodu is currently the 12th largest city in Nig ...

Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

.Olivia Kabir, January 201
Funke Akindele's state of origin
'' Legit.ng'' She is a Yoruba woman. She is the second of three children (two girls and one boy). Her mother was a medical doctor while her father was a retired school principal. She attended Grace Children's School, Gbagada,

. She obtained an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication (Masscom) from the former Ogun State Polytechnic, now known as Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. She earned a Law degree from the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a Public university, public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria, which was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the education in Nigeria#First generation universities, first generation universities in ...

Career

Akindele came into the limelight after starring in the popular

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Population Fund (

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)- sponsored sitcom '' I Need to Know'', which ran from 1998 to 2002. Funke Akindele played Bisi, a curious but highly intelligent secondary school student. Funke Akindele's big break came in 2008 when she appeared in the movie '' Jenifa.'' In 2010, she starred in gangsters two-parter film Omo Ghetto that became a cult-classic with massive influence on Yoruba

pop-culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, somet ...

at the time. She has since gone on to produce and star in successful Yoruba films, establishing her status as an undisputed household name in the region In 2013, Akindele ventured fully into what is known as the English part of the industry, amassing fans in the eastern part of the country and throughout the entire nation. In an interview in July 2016, Funke Akindele stated she was acting less in the Yoruba film industry at that time because of piracy.18 July 201
Funke Akindele: I'm not producing Yoruba movies for now
'' The Cable'' Akindele played the lead character in the TV show '' Jenifa's Diary'', alongside Fisayo Ajisola, Falz, Juliana Olayode, and Aderounmu Adejumoke. The show was a soft reboot of the movie '' Jenifa''. The 2018 comedy film '' Moms at War'' starred Funke Akindele and

Omoni Oboli Omoni Oboli (born 22 April 1978) is a Nigerian actress, scriptwriter, film director, producer and digital filmmaker. She studied at the New York Film Academy and has written several screenplays, including The Figurine (2009), ''Anchor Baby (fil ...

. In July 2019, Akindele started a new web series, ''Aiyetoro Town'', a

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

from her popular TV series, ''Jenifa's Diary.''24 July 201
Here's when Omoni Oboli's new film will be released in cinemas
''Pulse Nigeria'' She was the former

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of Scene One Film Production.Mosope Olumide, 14 September 201
Poverty And Failure: Funke Akindele Reveals Her Greatest Fears In Life
'' The Net'' She made her cinematic directorial debut in the 2019 political drama film, ''Your Excellency''. Alongside Daniel K. Daniel and Blessing Egbe, Akindele was invited to join the 2022 membership of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

popularly known as the

Oscars The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence i ...

as voting member. In 2025,

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

named her among the most influential women in international film. Funke Akindele is often compared to American actress,

Taraji P. Henson Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, alongside nominations for an Academy Award, six Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2016 and 2024, ''Time'' named Henson one of ...

. This comparison recently stirred up reactions after Nigerian content creator and actor, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, spoke against the comparisons between both actresses.

Political career

Akindele was nominated as the

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

deputy governorship candidate under

Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is one of the Multi-party system, two Major party, major contemporary List of political parties in Nigeria, political parties in Nigeria, along with its main rival, the All Progressives Congress, All Progressiv ...

in the 2023 elections. Justifying her nomination, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran monikered "Jandor", noted that the actress added more value to his candidacy in the 2023 general elections. Confirming her deputy governorship candidacy, the actress stated that her acting career must be “necessarily put on hold”.

Charity initiative

Akindele established a

non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

known as the Jenifa Foundation, which aims at providing young people with vocational skills.

Endorsements

Akindele has endorsement deals. These include being a signed Ambassador to

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and Irokotv. In 2018, she was signed as a brand ambassador for Keystone Bank.27 August 201
Keystone Bank signs Actress, Funke Akindele as brand ambassador
'' Vanguard Nigeria'' In

November November is the eleventh and penultimate month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 30 days. November was the ninth month of the calendar of Romulus . November retained its name (from the Latin ''novem'' meaning " ...

2019, she signed an endorsement deal with WAW Nigeria, a company that manufactures washing detergent and bar soap.6 November 201

"

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

Personal life

On 26 May 2012, Funke Akindele married Adeola Kehinde Oloyede. The couple divorced in July 2013, citing irreconcilable differences. Funke Akindele married Nigerian rapper JJC Skillz in London in May 2016. Her pregnancy rumours were among the top searched results on Google search engine in August 2017. JJC Skillz announced the end of the union between him and the popular actress which lasted six years via his official Instagram handle on June 30, 2022. Funke Akindele gave birth to twin boys in December 2018 and has several step-children.Fikayo Olowolagba, 22 December 2018
Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele defies prophecy, welcomes twins
'' Daily Post''Seun Durojaiye, 13 January 201
Actress Funke Akindele stuns in native owambe outfit
'' Legit.ng'' In April 2020, Akindele was arrested along with JJC Skillz, her husband at that time and charged for having a birthday party for her husband during a mandated lockdown to curb the spread of the

coronavirus Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...

. She later appeared in a Nigeria Centre for Disease Control video to raise awareness about the virus The actress and her husband were sentenced to a 14-day community service after pleading guilty to violating the lockdown order.

Record holdings

In 2025, Her movie '' Everybody Loves Jenifa'' became the highest grossing Nigerian movie of all time, breaking the record of her movie '' A Tribe Called Judah.'' Akindele has the most wins at award shows like AMVCA and

Nigeria Entertainment Awards The Nigerian Entertainment Awards were established in New York City in January 2006. The awards recognize the contributions of African entertainers with a special focus on Nigerians. Ceremonies * 2006 Nigeria Entertainment Awards * 2007 Nigeria ...

. She is the producer and director of the four highest grossing Nollywood movies of all time; '' Everybody Loves Jenifa,'' '' A Tribe Called Judah, Battle on Buka Street'' and '' Omo Ghetto: The Saga.''

Filmography

Film

Television

Game

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
Funke Akindele
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Akindele, Funke Best Actress Africa Movie Academy Award winners 1977 births Actresses from Lagos State Yoruba actresses Living people University of Lagos alumni 21st-century Nigerian actresses Nigerian film actresses Nigerian television actresses Participants in Nigerian reality television series Actresses in Yoruba cinema Moshood Abiola Polytechnic alumni Nigerian film producers Nigerian film directors Nigerian actor-politicians Nigerian television personalities Women in Lagos politics 21st-century Nigerian politicians Yoruba people Nigerian comedians