Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello, popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerian film actress and producer. She was born on August 24, 1977, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. She is the second of three children (two girls and a boy). Her mother is a medical doctor while her father is a retired school principal.
Funke Akindele attended Grace Children School, Gbagada, Lagos State. She obtained an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication from the former Ogun State Polytechnic, now known as Moshood Abiola Polytechnic. She earned a Law degree from the University of Lagos.
Funke Akindele initiated her acting career when she started in the popular United Nations Population Population Fund (UNFPA)-sponsored sitcom I Need to Know, which ran from 1998 to 2002, as Bisi - a curious but highly intelligent secondary school student. Funke Akindele's ground breaker came when she appeared in the movie, Jenifa. In July 2016, in an interview, Funke Akindele stated she was acting less in the Yoruba film industry at that time because of piracy.
Funke Akindele plays the lead character in the Nollywood TV series, Jenifa's Diary. The comical movie is a spin-off from the movie, Jenifa. She also starred in the 2018 comedy film Moms at War alongside Omoni Oboli. Funke Akindele initiated a new web series, Aiyetoro Town in July 2019. The series is also a derivative of her TV series, Jenifa's Diary.
She is the CEO of Scene One Film production. Funke Akindele made her debut as a director in the 2019 political drama film, Your Excellency. She currently runs a Non-governmental organization known as the Jenifa Foundation, which aims at providing young people with vocational skills. She is also an ambassador to Dettol and Iroko TV. In 2018, she was signed as brand ambassador for Keystone Bank. In November 2019, she signed an endorsement deal with WAW, a company that manufactures detergent and bar soap.
Akindele was formerly married to Adeola Kehinde Oloyede on May 26, 2012 but got divorced in July 2013. She then got remarried to Nigerian rapper JJC Skills in London on May 2016. Funke Akindele gave birth to twin boys in December 2018 thereby confirming the suspicions of people as to whether she was pregnant or not. She also has several step-children.
She was controversially arrested and charged to court in April 2020 for hosting a birthday party in honour of her husband which flouted the laid down rule of the imposed lockdown. She and her husband were then sentenced to a 14-day community service after pleading guilty to violating the lockdown order.
The actress has won a lot of awards including the Best Actress Leading role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, the Best Actress award at the 2009 and 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards, Best Actress (Indigenous) at the 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards for her role in Maami, Best Actress (comedy) at the 2014 Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards, Best Actress in comedy role at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards, Best TV series at the 2017 Africa Magic Viewer's Choice Awards for her work, Jenifa's Diary, to mention a few.
Funke Akindele is a highly successful actress and has consistently shown herself to be a powerful force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry.
Akindele Olufunke Ayotunde (popularly known as Funke Akindele and Jennifa) was born on August 24th, 1977, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. She is a Nigerian actress, script writer and producer. Funke Akindele is 44 years old. Funke grew up in Lagos as her mother, a medical doctor and her father, retired school principal lived and worked in Lagos. She has two siblings and is the second of the three children of her parents. She shaped her career in the media profession as a Journalist and actress after she received an OND in Mass Communication from the Ogun State Polytechnic. She went further up the academic ladder to pursue a law degree from the famous University of Lagos and wanted to pursue law as a professional career.
Funke Akindele Career
Funke worked in Television for a long period of time and later switched permanently to the lucrative cinema world. The Superstar came to limelight in 1998 when she played Bisi, a brilliant secondary school student, in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) sponsored sitcom; “I Need To Know.” The comedy soap opera ran from 1998 to 2002. She gained huge fame in 2009 for her role in the movie “ Jenifa“. So far, she has more than a hundred movies she produced, wrote or acted in. She has over a 100 movies to her credit as actress, writer and producer.
Funke is a recognized figure in many African homes and many adore her in many of her lead roles in great movies that have made quite an impact on Nigerians and Nollywood. She has become a role model to so many young Nigerians who aspire to be like her and who she has inspired to work hard towards living in better future. She runs a non-governmental Organisation known as The Jenifa Foundation, whose aims and objectives involves nurturing talents and acquiring vocational skills. She also has a lot of endorsement deals to her name, the most recently is her being signed as Ambassador to Iroko TV.
Funke Akindele Personal Life
Just like other celebrities, Funke had a colourful wedding in 2012. But her marriage did not flourish as her fans anticipated. Her ex-husband, Kehinde Oloyede Adeola was rumoured to have had strings of relationships and children out-of-wedlock. There are claims that her marriage did not work due to her husband’s extra-marital affairs. Nobody was sure what happened but they got a divorce in 2013, a year after their wedding, citing irreconcilable differences.
Funke gave love a second chance when she tied the knot with Nigerian rapper Abdul Rasheed Bello widely known as JJC Skillz. The secret wedding took place in London in May 2016. News went viral that she was going to deliver twins in London. She debunked the news and later on, reports surfaced that the babies (twins)which she reportedly conceived through IVF died at birth. Currently, she has no child but her husband JJC has three children from other women, so she has step-children. Funke has won several awards; In 2009, she made headlines across the entire continent of Africa as the Best Actress in a leading role and this led her to win the highly recognized award.
In 2012 and 2013, Nollywood Movie Award for Best Lead Actress in an Indigenous Language
In 2014 and 2017, Nigeria Entertainment Award for Best Actress
One
can not call on popular Nigerian actress without including the name of
Funke Akindele (Jenifer). She tops one of richet Nigerian actresses,
whose name has come to limelight in the movie and entertainment
Industry.
The
45-year-old Mother of two has proven over time that the hall of fame
and popularity is not for the faint of heart. Many recognise her as her
popular stage name - Jenifa.
Here is a snapshot to Funke Akindele (Jenifer) Profile
- Full name: Akindele Ayotunde Olufunke
- Nickname: Jenifa
- Date of Birth: 24th August, 1977
- Place of birth/State of origin: Ikorodu-Lagos State, South-West Nigeria
- Education: Moshood Abiola Polytechnic |University of Lagos
- Courses studied: Mass Communications (OND) |Bachelor of Law (LLB)
- Relationship Status: Divorced
- First ex-husband: Kehinde Oloyede
- Second ex-husband: Kehinde Oloyede (JJC SKillz)
- Children: Taiwo and Kehinde Bello (Twins)
- Occupation: Actress, Movie Producer, Director, Script writer, Politician
- Parents: Mr and Mrs Akindele
- Age: 45 Year as at Aug., 2022
- Political Party: People's Democratic Party, PDP.
Early Life, Family and Education of Funke Akindele:
Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele was born to the family of Mr. and Dr. Banjo Akindele on August 24, 1977 in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, South-West Nigeria. She is the second child of her Parents.
Funke Akindele (Jenifer) attended Grace Children School, Gbagada, before moving on to get her OND from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.
She further pursued a law degree from the prestigious University of Lagos, South-West Nigeria, where she earned his LLB degree.
Funke Akindele's acting career
Funke Akindele's journey to limelight started with her character in the United Nations-sponsored sitcom "I Need to Know",
where she played the role of a curious secondary school teenager from
1998 to 2002. The sitcom was created to increase awareness of the issues
that teenagers face during puberty stage.
The young Funke Akindele hit the centre stage of her career when she starred in her breakthrough comedy-drama, "Jenifa's Diary"
(as a comedy reproduction of Jenifer movie) " - where she played the
character of a local girl attempting to put on a fake appearance of
being born with a silver spoon. The hilarious drama received accolades
for highlighting the societal issues with false living. The comedy
series movie also changed the face of Nollywood movies in Nigeria as
some of the movie producers now adopt Funke Akindele's style.
Some of the Actors and Actresses into comedy series include: Femi Adebayo, Odunlade Adekola, Toyin Abraham, among others.
The Actress made her debut as a director in 2019 with the movie "Your Excellency". Setting the bar higher, Funke Akindele co-produced another hit, "Omoghetto; The Saga."
The movie became the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of all time after
raking in more than N468 million at the box office in one month, that
is according to the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).
As
a filmmaker, producer, and director, in 2021, Funke Akindele made a
shocking N468,036,300 from her blockbuster movie "Omoghetto: The Saga,"
thus becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time in Nigeria,
breaking the four-year record of Kemi Adetiba's movie titled 'The Wedding Party - a movie that featured popular names in the Nollywood industry like Sola Sobowale.
As at last year December, 2022, Funke Akindele released her directed and produced movie titled - Battle on Buka Street
in December. According to reports, the movie has raked in $60,000
(N27m) in gross profits in the United States of America (USA). The movie
was distributed by FillmOne and Part Two Media in the United States with support from Amplify Africa.
According to box office reports, Battle on Buka Street had raked in a whopping sum N135m in Nigeria and West African Cinemas.
Due to her outstanding career, She recently bagged an invitation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to join the 2022 membership of Oscar organisers.
She is also a three-time winner of the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (2014, 2017, and 2020)
Funke Akindele's Political Career
The Nigerian star actress was nominated as the Lagos State deputy governorship candidate
together with Dr Azeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor), under the platform of
the People's Democratic Party, PDP in the 2023 gubernatorial election
in Lagos State.
With
his nomination which came sudden to all Nigerians, Funke Akindele will
be joining top actors and actresses who ventured into Politics. Some of
them include: Desmond Elliot and Banky W.
Funke Akindele is active on social media. You can connect with her via her official handles on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X Instagram via
@funkeakindele.
