Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello (born 24 August 1977) popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerian film actress, politician and producer.Funsho Akinwale
Funke Akindele gives first glimpse of her twins
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' Akindele starred in the

sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...

'' 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 The Africa Movie Academy Award The Africa Movie Academy Awards, popularly known as AMAA and The AMA Awards, is presented annually to recognize excellence among professionals working in, or non-African professionals who have contributed to, the Af ...

. She rose to fame for her role in the movie titled ''

Jenifa ''Jenifa'' is a 2008 Nigerian comedy-drama film starring Funke Akindele. The film received four nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2008. Akindele won Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards for her role a ...

'' which earned her the nickname Jenifa. The '' Omo Ghetto'' trilogy contributed to her fame. Funke Akindele played the lead role in the show ''

Jenifa's Diary ''Jenifa's Diary'' is a Nigerian television comedy series, created by Funke Akindele. The series is part of the Jenifa franchise, based on a naive and funny character of the same name. ''Jenifa's Diary'' has 28 seasons and is currently active an ...

'', for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice AwardsL. Again, at the

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

and 2022 AMVCA, she took home the same award, making it her third win for the Best Actress in a Comedy category. In 2022, she was nominated by the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: *People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) *People's Democratic Party (Domin ...

gubernatorial candidate,

Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran popularly known as Jandor, is a Nigerian politician, journalist, entrepreneur, and technocrat. He is the chairman of Lagos4Lagos movement and the Lagos State Gubernatorial candidate under the People's Democratic Party ...

, as the running mate for the 2023 Lagos state governorship election.

Early life and education

Akindele was born on 24 August 1977, in

Ikorodu Ikorodu is a large 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 1million inhabitant, Ikorodu is currently the 12 largest city in N ...

Lagos State Lagos State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Èkó) is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya 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 G ...

. Olivia Kabir, January 201
Funke Akindele's state of origin
''

Legit.ng Legit.ng (formerly Naij.com) is a Nigerian digital media and news platform. It is ranked as the #1 news and entertainment platform and the 7th overall most visited website in Nigeria by Alexa Internet. Legit.ng is the biggest publisher on Facebo ...

'' She is the second of three children (two girls and one boy). Her mother is a medical doctor while her father is a retired school principal. She attended Grace Children's School, Gbagada, Lagos State. She obtained an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication from the former

Ogun State Polytechnic Moshood Abiola Polytechnic also known as MAPOLY is a tertiary learning institution in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. The Ojere campus is in the South-Eastern part of Abeokuta, covering about 960 hectares of rolling land bounded by the Ogun Riv ...

, now known as

Moshood Abiola Polytechnic Moshood Abiola Polytechnic also known as MAPOLY is a tertiary learning institution in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. The Ojere campus is in the South-Eastern part of Abeokuta, covering about 960 hectares of rolling land bounded by the Ogun River t ...

. She earned a Law degree from the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos, popularly known as UNILAG, is a public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria and was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the first generation universities in Nigeria and is ranked among the top universities in th ...

Career

Akindele came into the limelight after starring in the popular United Nations Population Fund (

UNFPA The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies a ...

)-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 ''

.'' In January 2018, there was a controversy when it was reported that Funke Akindele would get her

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

debut in Marvel's '' Avengers: Infinity War'' as she was listed as a member of the cast on

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, p ...

. Mainstream Nigerian press reported that Jenifa was set to star in ''Infinity War'' as the guard Dora Milaje, citing IMDb.11 January 201
Funke Akindele to star in Hollywood movie “Avengers: Infinity War”
'' Sun News'' Some weeks later her name was replaced with that of fellow Nigerian actress

Genevieve Nnaji Genevieve Nnaji (; born on 3 May 1979) is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award. In 2011, she was honoured as a ...

, with Funke Akindele's upload shown to have been a hack.Nsikak Nseyen, 16 January 201
How hackers uploaded Funke Akindele’s photo as Avenger’s cast – Freeze
'' Daily Post'' In February 2018, it was reported that Senate President and chair of the National Assembly, Dr.

Bukola Saraki Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, (born on 19 December 1962) is a Nigerian politician. He was the 13th President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2015 to 2019 and Chair of the 8th Nigeria National Assembly. He wa ...

, had advised Marvel Studios to feature Akindele in ''Infinity War.''Nasikak Nseye, 5 February 201
‘Avengers Infinity War’: Saraki makes case for actress, Funke Akindele
'' Daily Post'' In an interview on July 2016, Funke Akindele stated she was acting less in the

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba consti ...

film industry at that time because of piracy.18 July 201
Funke Akindele: I’m not producing Yoruba movies for now
'' The Cable'' Akindele plays the lead character in the ongoing hit TV show ''

'', alongside

Fisayo Ajisola Fisayo Ajisola , also known as Freezon, is a Nigerian television and film actress, model and singer, best known for her role in the Nigerian sitcom '' Jenifa's Diary'', alongside Funke Akindele. She is also known for her roles in the television ...

Falz Folarin Falana (born 27 October 1990), better known by his stage name Falz, is a Nigerian rapper, songwriter and actor who began his career while in secondary school after forming a group called The School Boys with his friend before his profe ...

Juliana Olayode Juliana Oluwatobiloba Olayode , also known as Toyo Baby, a sobriquet she got from starring as Toyosi in the series ''Jenifa's Diary''; is a Nigerian actress and sexual purity activist. She is also known for being a public critic of sex before m ...

, and

Aderounmu Adejumoke Adejumoke Aderounmu is a Nigerian actress, born in Abeokuta, Ogun State Nigeria, where she had her elementary and secondary education. She is best known for playing roles like Esther And Kelechi in the popular Nollywood TV series ''Jenifa's Dia ...

. The show is a spin-off from the movie ''Jenifa''. The 2018 comedy film '' Moms at War'' stars 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'' (2 ...

. In July 2019, Akindele started a new web series, ''Aiyetoro Town'', a spinoff 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 is the CEO 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 directorial debut in the 2019 political drama film, ''Your Excellency''.

Political career

Akindele was nominated as the Lagos deputy governorship candidate under

Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) The Peoples Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with its main rival, the All Progressives Congress. Its policies generally lie towards the centre-right of the political spectrum. It won e ...

in the upcoming 2023 elections. In justifying her nomination,

, popularly known as Jandor, noted that the actress will add more value to his candidacy in the 2023 general elections. Confirming her deputy governorship candidacy on Tuesday, the actress stated that her acting career must be “necessarily put on hold”.

Charity initiative

Akindele runs a non-governmental organization known as the Jenifa Foundation, which aims at providing young people with vocational skills.

Endorsements

Akindele has endorsement deals such as her being signed as an Ambassador to

Dettol Dettol is a cleaning disinfectant and antiseptic. It was introduced in 1932 by the British company Reckitt. In Germany, it is sold under the name Sagrotan. Prior to 2002, some Dettol products were branded Dettox. Dettol Antiseptic Disinfectant ...

and

Irokotv irokotv is a web platform that provides paid-for Nigerian films on-demand. It is one of Africa's first mainstream online movie streaming websites, providing access to over 5,000 Nollywood film titles. irokotv is a part of iROKO Limited, which ...

. In 2018, she was signed as a brand ambassador for

Keystone Bank Keystone or key-stone or ''variation'', may refer to: * Keystone (architecture), a central stone or other piece at the apex of an arch or vault * Keystone (cask), a fitting used in ale casks Business * Keystone Law, a full-service law firm * Di ...

.27 August 201
Keystone Bank signs Actress, Funke Akindele as brand ambassador
''

Vanguard Nigeria ''Vanguard'' is a daily newspaper published by Vanguard Media, based in Lagos, Nigeria. Vanguard Media was established in 1984 by veteran journalist Sam Amuka-Pemu with three friends. The paper has an online edition. It is one of the few newsp ...

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

"

The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly 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 tha ...

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 Abdulrasheed Bello (born 4 April 1977, Kano) known professionally as Skillz or JJC Skillz is a Nigerian songwriter, rapper, record and television producer. JJC Skillz earned recognition in Nigeria after the release of his single We Are Africans ...

in London in May 2016. Her pregnancy rumours were among the top searched results on

Google search engine Google Search (also known simply as Google or Google.com) is a search engine operated by Google. It allows users to search for information on the Web by entering keywords or phrases. Google Search uses algorithms to analyze and rank websites ...

in August 2017. 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 (Nigeria)Daily Post''Seun Durojaiye, 13 January 201
Actress Funke Akindele stuns in native owambe outfit
''

Controversy

In April 2020, Akindele was arrested along with her husband and charged to court for hosting a birthday party in honour of her husband during the period of an imposed lockdown (to tackle coronavirus). She later appeared in a

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is the national public health institute for Nigeria. It is a federal government agency under the Federal Ministry of Health (Nigeria), with its headquarters in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. The ...

video to raise awareness about coronavirus. The actress and her husband were sentenced to a 14-day community service after pleading guilty to violating the lockdown order.

Record holdings

Her movie ''Omo Ghetto'' currently holds the record of becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time in

, breaking the four-year record of

Kemi Adetiba Kemi Adetiba (born 8 January 1980) is a Nigerian filmmaker, television director and music video director, whose works have appeared on Channel O, MTV Base, Sound City TV, BET and Netflix. Education Kemi holds bachelor's degree in law ...

's movie titled ' The Wedding Party'. According to a statement, broadcast by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), in January 2021, the movie grossed N468,036,300 after maintaining its number one spot for 3 consecutive weeks.

Filmography

The films of Funke Akindele are listed in alphabetical order: *''Agbefo'' *''Aje Metta'' *''Akandun'' *''Anointed Liars'' *''Apaadi'' *''Apoti Orogun'' *''Atanpako Meta'' *'' Battle on Buka Street'' *''Baye se Nlo'' *''Bolode O'ku'' *''

Chief Daddy ''Chief Daddy'' is a 2018 Nigerian comedy drama film directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, written by Bode Asiyanbi and produced by Mosunmola Abudu and Temidayo Abudu, which was released in December 2018. It starred popular Nollywood actors and ac ...

'' *''Dwindle'' *''Edunjobi'' *''Egun'' *''Emi Abata'' *''Farayola'' *''Ija Ola'' *''

Industreet Industreet is a Nigerian TV drama and entertainment series that premiered on May 26, 2017, written by JJC Skillz and produced by Funke Akindele Bello. The project is focused on the African music and entertainment industry, and showcased the life ...

'' *''

Isoken ''Isoken'' is a 2017 romantic comedy film written and directed by Jadesola Osiberu (in her directorial debut). The film stars Dakore Akande, Joseph Benjamin, and Marc Rhys. The film was produced by Tribe85 productions and distributed by Silv ...

'' *''

'' *''Kakaki 'leku'' *''Kòséfowórà'' *''Ladies Gang'' *''Love Wahala'' *''

Maami ''Maami'' (English: ''My Mother'') is a 2011 Nigerian drama film produced and directed by Tunde Kelani. It is based on a novel of the same name, written by Femi Osofisan, and adapted to screen by Tunde Babalola. It stars Funke Akindele as Maami, ...

'' *''Maku'' *''

Married but Living Single ''Married but Living Single'' is a 2012 Nigerian romantic drama film, directed by Tunde Olaoye and starring Funke Akindele, Joseph Benjamin, Joke Silva, Tina Mba, Kiki Omeili and Femi Brainard. The film was inspired by a book of the same name ...

'' *'' Moms at War'' *''Oba Irawo'' *''Odun Baku'' *''Okun Ife Yi'' *'' Omo Ghetto'' *'' Omo Ghetto: The Saga'' *''Omo Pupa'' *''Oreke Mulero'' *''Osuwon Edaf'' *'' Return of Jenifa'' *'' My Siblings and I'' *''

A Trip to Jamaica ''A Trip to Jamaica'' is a 2016 Nigerian comedy drama film directed by Robert Peters starring Ayo Makun, Funke Akindele, Nse Ikpe Etim and Dan Davies. The film tells a story about the adventures of a newly engaged couple in their relatives ...

'' *''Taiwo Taiwo'' * Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke *''

Your Excellency Excellency is an honorific style given to certain high-level officers of a sovereign state, officials of an international organization, or members of an aristocracy. Once entitled to the title "Excellency", the holder usually retains the righ ...

'' *''

Who's the Boss (2020 film) ''Who's The Boss'' is a 2020 Nigerian romantic comedy film produced, written, and directed by Chinaza Onuzo (Naz Onuzo) on his directorial debut. The film stars Sharon Ooja, Funke Akindele and Blossom Chukwujekwu in the lead roles. The film was ...

'' * Far From Home (2022 series)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *https://twitter.com/funkeakindele *https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/tori-54481696 {{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 politicians Nigerian film directors Nigerian actor-politicians Nigerian film award winners Nigerian media personalities Nigerian television personalities Women in Lagos politics 21st-century Nigerian politicians

Early life and education

Career

Political career

Charity initiative

Endorsements

Personal life

Controversy

Record holdings

Filmography

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links