Popular Nollywood filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele has weighed in on the ongoing debate over movie promotion strategies in Nigeria, responding to recent remarks by fellow filmmaker Kunle Afolayan.
Afolayan had openly expressed frustration with what he described as the growing pressure on filmmakers to engage in social media theatrics, particularly dancing, to promote their films.
According to him, the process has become exhausting and distracts from the core business of filmmaking.
“It is draining. I want to make a film if you guarantee me that I don’t have to dance to sell that film,” Afolayan said.
Beyond promotion tactics, the award-winning director also criticised what he termed an unhealthy fixation on box office figures in the Nigerian film industry. He argued that headline-grabbing cinema numbers are meaningless if filmmakers do not see proportional financial returns.
“There’s no competition. I don’t want two billion in cinema, or even one billion, if I won’t make ten million from it,” he stated, questioning the sustainability of current cinema economics for creators.
In what appeared to be a direct response, Akindele took to her Instagram Stories to offer a blunt but motivational perspective, stressing that opportunities in the industry are vast and not limited by another person’s success.
Without mentioning Afolayan by name, she encouraged creatives to focus on their own journeys rather than dwell on perceived obstacles.
“I’m not the one hindering your progress. Ka rin ka po, yiye nin ye ni. If you can’t beat them or join them, create your own path. No allow jealousy burn you. The sky is so big for everybody to fly,” Akindele wrote on Instagram.
She further advised filmmakers and entrepreneurs to explore alternative marketing approaches or outsource promotion to professionals if current trends feel uncomfortable or unsuitable.
“Go ahead and create alternative promotion or marketing strategies for promoting your business, or hire a company to handle it. You can do it! The opportunities are endless, and everyone has their own path. I’m focused on mine, and I have faith in God’s plan for me,” she added.
Akindele’s remarks have since sparked conversations across the Nigerian creative space, highlighting a broader tension between artistic preference, commercial realities, and the evolving role of social media in film promotion.
While opinions remain divided, the exchange underscores a critical industry question: how filmmakers can balance creativity, dignity, and profitability in a rapidly changing digital marketplace.
