Entertainment

Funke Akindele Reveals Driving Force Behind Her Success

Published

1 month ago

Feb 28, 2025.

James Agbenu

Funke Akindele attributes her rise to stardom to hard work, dedication, and divine intervention, stating that “only God made me a star.”
She recalled a pivotal encounter with veteran singer D’banj, who urged her to continue building her Jenifa brand
From her early role in the sitcom “I Need to Know” to her breakthrough in the 2008 film Jenifa

Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele has attributed her film industry success to divine providence.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that speaking at the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) 2025 Media Sales Conference in Lagos, she made it clear that her stardom resulted from her hard work and dedication, not the work of others.

Funke Akindele

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Funke credited veteran Nigerian singer D’banj with playing a significant role in the evolution of her Jenifa brand.

Reflecting on her journey, she said, “Nobody made me a star; only God made me a star. I wrote my own script, and that was it. The first ‘Jenifa’ was released in 2009, and that was the turning point.”

She recalled an encounter at a club where, after meeting D’banj, he urged her to continue developing the Jenifa brand rather than moving on to something new. “He said, ‘No.

You have to milk it. It’s a brand. Go and write another script,’” she explained, adding that his financial support helped her keep writing.