Award-winning Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed how an unnamed social media influencer rejected a paid promotional collaboration for her blockbuster movie, Everybody Loves Jenifa.
The filmmaker said the experience occurred during preparations for the film’s release in 2024, explaining that she was initially reluctant to contact the influencer but eventually decided to reach out.
According to TheCable, Akindele made the revelation during a panel discussion at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend, where she reflected on the challenges of promoting movies and dealing with rejection in the entertainment industry.
Funke Akindele recounts influencer’s rejection
Speaking about the experience, the actress explained that she approached the influencer with ideas for creating promotional content to generate publicity for the movie.
However, despite waiting almost a week for a response, she was eventually informed that the influencer’s management had declined the collaboration.
Akindele said she was willing to pay for the promotional services but received no further response.
Recalling the exchange, she said the influencer explained that their management did not want them to participate in the proposed collaboration.
The filmmaker added that she offered to pay but was subsequently ignored.
According to her, the situation later took an unexpected turn when she encountered claims suggesting that she had blocked someone over the incident.
“Then months after, I read that I blocked somebody because of this,” she said.
Akindele did not disclose the identity of the influencer involved.
Actress reflects on rejection, career challenges
Despite the experience, Akindele explained that she refused to allow the rejection to discourage her from promoting the movie.
She said she chose to move forward rather than dwell on the incident.
The actress also encouraged creatives to remain focused on their ambitions and avoid allowing criticism or rejection to undermine their confidence.
Her remarks highlighted some of the difficulties filmmakers face when seeking partnerships with social media personalities to generate publicity for their productions.
Social media influencers have become important figures in Nollywood marketing, with producers increasingly relying on online content, promotional challenges and celebrity collaborations to attract cinema audiences.
Everybody Loves Jenifa records N1.88bn box office success
Despite the promotional setback, Everybody Loves Jenifa went on to achieve major commercial success following its release on December 13, 2024.
The comedy-drama, part of Akindele’s popular Jenifa franchise, featured actors including Falz, Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Jackie Appiah, Omowunmi Dada and Patience Ozokwor.
The film grossed approximately N1.88bn, establishing a West African box office record at the time.
Akindele had previously achieved commercial success with A Tribe Called Judah, which became the first Nollywood film to cross the N1bn mark at the box office.
Her 2025 production, Behind the Scenes, subsequently surpassed the N2bn milestone.
Known for her extensive promotional campaigns, Akindele has continued to use social media, celebrity collaborations and audience engagement strategies to market her films.
Her latest revelation offers insight into the setbacks she encountered while promoting one of Nollywood’s biggest commercial successes.
