By Cyril Ehinomen
…Funke Akindele Expresses Gratitude To Nigerians, Ghanaians For Reaching Such Feat
President Bola Tinubu has celebrated the ingenuity, creativity, and immense artistic talents of Nigeria’s thriving entertainment industry.
President Tinubu particularly congratulated Ms Funke Akindele on her record-setting film, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ and commended the ace thespian for her contributions to the growth of the industry.
The President, in a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Friday, extolled the excellence of the Nigerian creative industry, acknowledging its pivotal place as a medium not only for artistic expression but also a source of enormous soft power and viable export.
“The creative industry is one of the high-employment sectors, providing jobs for our able and talented youths. It is an industry that is crucial to my administration. I salute Nigerians for their enduring support and patronage of home-grown creative efforts. We will provide the conducive environment for the industry to thrive further,” President Tinubu stated
In the same vein, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has congratulated the movie director for the “phenomenon success” at the box office to become the first Nigerian movie that would earn N1 billion in the domestic theatre.
Atiku, in a tweet on Friday, said Funke’s success is for all Nigerians.
His tweet reads in part: “A Tribe Called Judah” is not just a film; it is a cultural gem that reflects the vibrancy and resilience of Nigerian cinema.”
Meanwhile, Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele has expressed delight after his recent movie ‘ A Tr!be Called Judah’ set a record for the Nigerian film industry as the first ever Nollywood film to enter a billion naira even in a short period.
Funke Akindele made a whooping one billion, sixty million, seven hundred and eleven thousand, four hundred and ninety-one.
Presently on the Wikipedia Nollywood grossing table, Funke Akindele’s movies, A Tr!be Called Judah, Battle On Buka Street, and Omo Ghetto The Saga are respectively the highest-grossing Nollywood films of all time.
Reacting to the huge success of her movie, Funke Akindele via her official Instagram handle extended gratitude to God and also appreciated Nigerians and Ghanaians for their massive support for her.
“Thank you, LORD
Thank you NIGERIA!!!!
Thank you GHANA!!!!”.
Recall that Funke Akindele previously held the title of the Highest Grossing movie with A Battle of Buka Street, which netted 640 million at the box office.
This made the mother of twins, the highest-grossing filmmaker in Nollywood, beating Mo Abudu, with the top two posts with her box office movies, Battle on Buka Street and Omo Ghetto The Saga.
Coming third place was The Wedding Party which was produced by Mo Abudu and directed by Kemi Adetiba.
To add to it, Funke Akindele, as well as Mo Abudu, and Ayo Makun had topped the list of highest-grossing movie producers in Nigeria.
In a list compiled by Top Charts Africa, Mo Abudu, Funke Akindele, and Ayo Makun were said to have grossed over N1 billion in movies.
Reflecting on her journey, while marking her birthday last year, Funke expressed gratitude to God for being with her throughout her journey so far.
She appreciated Him for being with her in the very beginning, the Old Nollywood days, and now.
