Funke Akindele

Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello (born 24 August 1977) popularly known as Funke Akindele or Jenifa, is a Nigerian filmmaker, director, actress, politician and producer. Akindele starred in the sitcom I Need to Know from 1998 to 2002, and in 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She rose to fame for her role in the movie titled Jenifa which earned her the nickname Jenifa. The Omo Ghetto[ trilogy contributed to her fame. Funke Akindele played the lead role in the show Jenifa’s Diary, for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards. Again, at the 2020 and 2022 AMVCA, she took home the same award, making it her third win for the Best Actress in a Comedy category. Funke Akindele is the most nominated actress at the AMVCA and currently owns seven AMVCA which makes her the actress with most win at the AMVCA. Funke is second director to gross over a billion at the box office with movies like Your Excellency, Omo Ghetto: The Saga and most recent Battle on Buka Street. Funke is the only Yoruba actress to have won an African Movie Academy Award and Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award. Funke Akindele’s career continues to soar despite the media’s backlash, she doesn’t look like she is stopping anytime soon. In 2022, she was nominated by the People’s Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, as the running mate for the 2023 Lagos state governorship election.

Akindele was born on 24 August 1977, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. She is the second of three children (two girls and one boy). Her mother is a medical doctor while her father is a retired school principal. She attended Grace Children’s 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.