For years, Nollywood producers dreamed of a billion-naira film. In early 2024, Funke Akindele’s A Tribe Called Judah crossed that line at the Nigerian box office, the first Nollywood title to do so. It was the latest in a run of record-breaking holiday releases from an actress who had already shown she understood what Nigerian audiences wanted.
The story and Funke Akindele
The film follows Jedidah Judah, a single mother of five sons, each from a different father. When she falls ill, her sons plan a robbery to pay for her treatment, and comedy and chaos follow. Akindele became famous for playing Jenifa, a village girl trying to fit in with city life, a character that grew into a film franchise and a long-running TV series.
She co-directed A Tribe Called Judah with Adeoluwa Owu. The cast included Timini Egbuson, Uzor Arukwe and other popular actors.
Records and the December release
Her films Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020) and Battle on Buka Street (2022) had each become the highest-grossing Nollywood films at the time of their release. December is the most important season for Nigerian cinemas, with families and returnees on holiday. Akindele’s films have consistently targeted that window. The film mixed comedy and emotion, and its family story appealed to wide audiences. Word of mouth kept cinemas full for weeks into the new year.
Streaming, politics and box office
After its cinema run, the film moved to streaming, reaching viewers outside Nigeria who had followed the box office news online. In 2023, Akindele was the running mate to the PDP’s Lagos governorship candidate, Olajide Adediran. They lost, and she returned fully to filmmaking. Her success was part of a wider growth in Nigerian cinema attendance after the pandemic, as new screens opened in several cities.
Some observers note that inflation made naira milestones easier to reach, though admissions for the film were also high.
Later films and the sons
She followed with another December release, Everybody Loves Jenifa, keeping her holiday record going. The five sons each have distinct personalities and backgrounds, which gives the film much of its comedy. Their bickering, rivalry and loyalty to their mother drew laughs and tears in equal measure from cinema audiences. Funke Akindele started as a comic character on television. She is now the filmmaker every Nollywood producer studies before planning a December release.
