The Federal Government has lauded actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele for the historic box office success of her film, Behind The Scenes. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) highlighted this achievement as a major milestone for Nollywood and Nigeria’s creative industry.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, the agency celebrated Akindele for leading at the box office with Behind The Scenes, which has now surpassed ₦2.1 billion in ticket sales. The film has set a new record as the first Nollywood production to reach the ₦2 billion mark at the Nigerian box office.
The NOA further pointed out the film’s success beyond Nigerian borders, earning $111,256 in Canada and $190,249 in North America, which they hailed as proof of Nollywood’s growing global appeal. The film has also become the highest-grossing Nollywood production across Africa, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
This success has made Funke Akindele the first filmmaker to top the African box office for three consecutive years. Akindele’s historic feat was first confirmed on January 12, when she crossed the ₦2 billion milestone, cementing her place as Africa’s highest-grossing filmmaker.
Akindele reacted to the record-breaking achievement by crediting discipline, faith, and a commitment to storytelling. She emphasized that while records are significant milestones, the core mission remains to serve the story, respect the audience, and refine the craft, letting the work speak for itself.
The government’s recognition of Akindele’s success underscores the growing calls for continued support for Nigeria’s creative sector. As locally produced films continue to break records, both domestically and internationally, the sector is gaining increasing recognition for its contributions to Nigeria’s cultural and economic development.
