Award-winning Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has recounted how an unnamed social media influencer rejected her offer of a paid promotional collaboration for her 2024 blockbuster, Everybody Loves Jenifa.
Akindele disclosed the experience during a panel session at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), where she spoke about the challenges she encountered while marketing the movie.
The filmmaker said she was initially hesitant to approach the influencer but eventually sent a message requesting the creation of promotional content for the film.
According to her, she waited for almost a week before receiving a response, only to be informed that the influencer’s management had declined the proposed collaboration.
“I did not want to send this message, but I tried and decided to reach out. I waited for almost a week, hoping to get a response,” she said, recounting the experience.
Akindele said she was willing to pay for the promotional service but was ignored after the influencer communicated the management’s decision.
“I told the person I would pay, but the person ignored me,” the actress said.
She further disclosed that the experience later took an unexpected turn when she came across claims that she had blocked someone over the incident, although she did not identify the influencer involved.
The revelation offers a glimpse into the promotional challenges faced by filmmakers, even as social media influencers have become increasingly important in driving publicity and audience engagement for cinema releases.
Everybody Loves Jenifa, released on December 13, 2024, is part of Akindele’s popular Jenifa franchise.
The comedy-drama featured an ensemble cast, including Falz, Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Jackie Appiah, Omowunmi Dada and Patience Ozokwor.
The film recorded remarkable commercial success, grossing about ₦1.88bn at the box office and becoming the highest-grossing film in West Africa at the time.
Akindele, who has built a reputation for innovative movie marketing strategies involving celebrities, social media campaigns, dance challenges and creative promotional content, has continued to set box-office records in the Nigerian film industry.
