Renowned Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has reacted to comments made by her colleague, Kunle Afolayan, on cinema marketing strategies and box office revenue in the Nigerian film industry.
Afolayan, in a series of public remarks, criticised what he described as the current promotional approaches used for cinema releases, particularly the heavy reliance on skits, social media content, and performance-driven marketing.
Speaking during the launch of his film Anikulapo, the filmmaker downplayed box office competition, stating that high cinema earnings do not necessarily translate into personal financial benefit.
“There is no competition between us. I don’t just want N1 billion or N2 billion in the cinema that I won’t be able to personally receive N10 million from,” Afolayan said.
He further elaborated on his position during a recent appearance at the Lagos Business of Film Summit, where he explained why he does not embrace cinema-style promotional campaigns.
“I want to make a film if you can guarantee I don’t have to dance to sell. We need to come up with other strategies. How do we sell without exhausting ourselves?” he said.
Referring to the aggressive promotional methods adopted by some of his colleagues, Afolayan added, “I don’t know how the likes of Funke Akindele and others are doing it — creating skits every day, changing costumes all the time. I can’t do it.”
Reacting via her Instagram story, Akindele dismissed the remarks, attributing them to jealousy and urging the filmmaker to focus on his own creative path.
“I’m not the one hindering your progress,” she wrote, adding in Yoruba, ‘Ka rin ka po, yiye ni n ye ni.’
She further advised, “If you can’t beat them or join them, create your own path. Don’t let jealousy burn you. The sky is big enough for everyone to fly. The opportunities are endless, and everyone has their own journey.”
Akindele also encouraged filmmakers to explore alternative marketing options if current strategies do not suit them. “Go ahead and create alternative promotion or marketing strategies for your business, or hire a company to handle it,” she added.
Afolayan’s comments came amid recent box office milestones, with Nollywood films recording cinema grosses of N1 billion and N2 billion, largely driven by releases from Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham.