NFVCB: Funke Akindele Named Nollywood Box Office Champion
Funke Akindele, the actress and filmmaker, has been formally recognised by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) as the “Nollywood Box Office Champion.” At a ceremony in Lagos on Saturday, 28 February 2026, the board presented Akindele with four separate plaques for her sustained commercial dominance. Her recent trilogy of hits, Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020), Everybody Loves Jenifa (2024), and Behind The Scenes (2025/2026) has collectively grossed over N2.7 billion. This total does not merely set a record; it redraws the map of what is possible for domestic theatrical releases.
The Executive Director of the NFVCB, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, characterised the award as a milestone in the “evolution of Nigerian cinema.” He noted that Akindele has now topped the box office for four consecutive years, a feat he attributed to a combination of creative discipline and a sophisticated grasp of audience engagement. Her latest project, Behind The Scenes, alone shattered the N2 billion ceiling in early 2026. This performance cements her position as the first filmmaker in African history to achieve such a milestone within a single release window.
The Minister of Arts, Culture, Creative Economy and Tourism, Hannatu Musawa, hailed Akindele as a “trailblazer” whose work proves the economic viability of the Nigerian creative sector. For a government eager to diversify the economy, Akindele serves as a potent case study. Her films are no longer just cultural artifacts; they are high-performance financial assets. The Minister’s praise underscores a shift in how the state views Nollywood, less as a chaotic cottage industry and more as a professionalised engine of growth.
Akindele’s acceptance speech was notable for its emphasis on the “business” of show business. Addressing critics of her high-energy social media promotion, she defended her “dancing” as a cost-effective marketing strategy. She argued that Nollywood remains “big enough for everyone” and called for greater collaboration among producers to ensure collective growth. Her message was clear: consistency is the primary currency of success. She appears less interested in industry rivalry than in the expansion of the entire theatrical ecosystem.
The ceremony also highlighted the achievements of other industry heavyweights. Toyin Abraham was commended for her directorial debut, Oversabi Auntie, which recently crossed the N1 billion mark. This “female-led” dominance of the charts suggests a significant shift in the power dynamics of Nigerian film production. Tola Akerele, General Manager of the National Theatre, went so far as to suggest that Akindele’s career trajectory could eventually become a subject for academic study.
As Akindele moves into the rest of 2026, her focus remains on “telling authentic African stories on a global stage.” With Behind The Scenes continuing to perform well in the UK and Ireland, the transition from local champion to global export is well underway. The NFVCB’s recognition is a formal validation of a career built on the relentless pursuit of the mass market. For the rest of the industry, the “Jenifa” blueprint is now the standard to beat.