President Tinubu extols Nigerians’ creative excellence, congratulates Funke Akindele on box office record
President Bola Tinubu has celebrated the ingenuity, creativity, and immense artistic talents of Nigeria’s thriving entertainment industry.
The President, according to a statement on Friday by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, congratulated Nollywood filmmaker, Ms. Funke Akindele on her record-setting film, A Tribe Called Judah, which became the first in the Nigerian film industry to gross N1 billion in Box Office.
The President commended the ace thespian for her contributions to the growth of the industry.
The President further extoled the excellence of the Nigerian creative industry, acknowledging its pivotal place as a medium not only for artistic expression but also a source of enormous soft power and viable export.
“The creative industry is one of the high-employment sectors, providing jobs for our able and talented youths. It is an industry that is crucial to my administration. I salute Nigerians for their enduring support and patronage of home-grown creative efforts. We will provide the conducive environment for the industry to thrive further,” President Tinubu stated.
Funke Akindele’s blockbuster, ‘A Tribe called Judah’, has broken box office record within 21 days of its release in cinemas to become first Nollywood film to gross N1 billion.
Ace Nollywood actress and producer of the movie, Funke Akindele, made this known on her Instagram page as she shared the One Billion Naira feat flier.
She wrote: “Thank You LORD!!!, Thank NIGERIA!! Thank you GHANA!!”
The movie which hit cinemas on December 15, 2023 has continued to break records, becoming the first to gross over N133 million in its opening weekend.
It became the highest grossing Nollywood film for the year 2023 after grossing over N613 million within first 14 days of its release.
The film earlier made history on January 2, as it emerged the highest grossing Nollywood film ever with a reported N854 million at the box office within 18 days in cinemas.
This feat has surpassed Akindele’s previous films ‘Battle on Buka Street’ (N668.4 million), and ‘Omo Ghetto’ (N636.1 million) which now currently sits as the second and third highest grossing film in the Nigerian box office respectively.
A ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ is directed by Adeoluwa Owu, popularly known as Captain Degzy and is distributed by FilmOne Entertainment.
The star-studded movie featured seasoned actors including Nse Ikpe Etim; Funke Akindele; Timini Egbuson; Ebelle Okaro; Uzor Arukwe; Genoveva Umeh; and Nosa Rex, among others.
Other casts include Boma Akpore; Ebele Okaro-Onyiuke; Etinosa Idemudia; Fathia Balogun; Jide Achufusi; Olayode Juliana; Olumide Oworu; Paschaline Alex; Tobi Makinde; Uzor Arukwe and Yvonne Jegede.
According to Akindele, the plot of ‘A Tribe called Judah,’ revolves around a woman called Jedidah Judah, who has five sons from five different men, all belonging to different tribes.
She said: “The story is so dear to my heart and it has a part of my late mum in it, and it represents the struggles faced by many single parents and mothers in society.”
