Influencer rejected my paid promo offer for ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ – Funke Akindele

Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has recounted how an unnamed social media influencer rejected her offer to pay for promotional content for her 2024 film, Everybody Loves Jenifa.

Akindele made this known while speaking during a panel session at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND), where she discussed her experiences with influencer partnerships and the challenges of promoting her projects.

She said she was initially hesitant to contact the influencer but eventually sent a message proposing a content collaboration during the film’s promotional campaign.

According to her, she waited for several days before receiving a response that the influencer’s management was not interested in the proposed collaboration.

There was one influencer I reached out to. I sent a message to them that I would like to create content. One, two, three, four times a week. And I didn’t want to send this message. This was during Everybody Loves Jenifa, but I tried,” she said.

She added that she offered to pay for the promotional content, but the influencer did not respond.

The person was like, ‘I’m sorry, my management, they don’t want me to do this.’ The person was like, ‘Oh, please, I’m paying. I’m paying.’ The person ignored me,” Akindele said.

Akindele also encouraged people to distinguish constructive criticism from discouragement, urging them to remain focused on their goals despite negative comments.

The filmmaker has recorded major box office successes in recent years.

Her 2023 film, Battle on Buka Street, grossed about N640m, while A Tribe Called Judah became the first Nollywood film to cross the N1bn mark at the Nigerian box office in January 2024.

Later that year, Everybody Loves Jenifa grossed about N1.88bn, setting a record as the highest-grossing film in West Africa at the time.

Her 2025 film, Behind the Scenes, also crossed the N2bn mark, setting a new box office milestone for African cinema.