Who is Funke Akindele? Everything You Must Know About Nigerian Actress & Politician

Table of Contents

Key Facts About Funke Akindele

She is a politician and movie star from Nigeria.
She is better known as Jenifa.
Zack and Zion Bello are her twin sons.
Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello is her full name.
She firmly adheres to the Christian faith.
She has three other siblings.
She comes from the Yoruba people.
Her parents are Adebanjo and Olusoji Akindele.

Who is Funke Akindele?

Funke Akindele, known as Jenifa, is a Nigerian film actress, politician, and producer. She was born on August 24, 1977, and her full name is Olufunke Ayotunde Akindele-Bello. From 1998 to 2002, Funke Akindele played the lead role in the sitcom I Need to Know. In 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She became famous after playing Jenifa in the movie Jenifa, which gave her the nickname Jenifa. The Omo Ghetto trilogy helped her become well-known. Funke Akindele played the lead role in the show Jenifa’s Diary. She won the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy for this role. She won the same award again at the AMVCAs in 2020 and 2022, making this her third win in the Best Actress in a Comedy category. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, who was running for governor of Lagos state for the People’s Democratic Party, picked her as his running mate for the 2023 election. This happened in 2022.

Funke Akindele married Adeola Kehinde Oloyede on May 26, 2012. They got a divorce in July 2013, citing their inability to get along. Funke Akindele tied the knot with the Nigerian rapper JJC Skillz in May of 2016 in London. In August 2017, her pregnancy rumours were one of the most searched topics on Google. Funke Akindele had twin boys in December 2018 and has a few step-children.

Funke Akindele and her husband were both arrested and taken to court in April 2020 for throwing a birthday party for her husband during a lockdown. Later, she was in a video by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control to spread coronavirus information. After pleading guilty to breaking the lockdown order, the actress and her husband were given a 14-day community service sentence.

Funke Akindele Early Life

Akindele Funke was born on August 24, 1977, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. She is the middle child of three (two girls and one boy). Her mother is a doctor, and her father was a former school principal.

Funke Akindele Education

Funke Akindele went to Grace Children’s School in Gbagada in Lagos. She attended the University of Lagos and graduated with a degree in Law. She got an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication from what used to be called Ogun State Polytechnic and is now called Moshood Abiola Polytechnic.

Funke Akindele Career

Funke Akindele became well-known after she played a lead role in the popular sitcom I Need to Know, which ran from 1998 to 2002 and was sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Funke Akindele played Bisi, a high school student who was very smart but curious. Funke Akindele got her big break in the movie Jenifa in 2008.

In January 2018, it was said that Funke Akindele would make her Hollywood debut in Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War because she was listed as a cast member on IMDb. This caused a lot of controversies. IMDb was used as a source to say that Jenifa would play the guard Dora Milaje in Infinity War. After a few weeks, her name was changed to that of another Nigerian actress, Genevieve Nnaji, and it was shown that Funke Akindele’s upload had been hacked. In February 2018, it was said that Senate President and National Assembly chairman, Bukola Saraki, had suggested that Funke Akindele be in Infinity War.

In an interview in July 2016, Funke Akindele said that piracy was making her act less in Yoruba movies at the time. Along with Fisayo Ajisola, Falz, Juliana Olayode, and Aderounmu Adejumoke, Funke Akindele plays the leading role in the hit TV show Jenifa’s Diary. The movie Jenifa is the basis for the show. Funke Akindele and Omoni Oboli are in the 2018 comedy Moms at War. Funke Akindele started a new web series called Aiyetoro Town in July 2019. It is a spinoff of her popular TV show Jenifa’s Diary. She runs Scene One Film Production as its CEO. In 2019, she made her first movie as a director. It was a political drama called “Your Excellency.”

In preparation for the elections that will take place in 2023, the People’s Democratic Party (Nigeria) has chosen Funke Akindele to be their candidate for the position of deputy governor of Lagos. The actress claimed on Tuesday, the day she confirmed her candidature for the post of deputy governor, that she will “absolutely have to put an end to her acting career.” Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, better known as Jandor, used the fact that she is an actress to explain why he wanted her to run in the 2023 general elections.

Funke Akindele is in charge of the Jenifa Foundation, a non-government organisation that helps young people learn job skills. Funke Akindele has signed endorsement deals with companies like Dettol and Irokotv. In 2018, Keystone Bank hired her as a brand ambassador. She inked a partnership in November 2019 to promote WAW Nigeria’s detergents and bar soaps. Her movie Omo Ghetto is the highest-grossing movie of all time in Nigeria. It beat Kemi Adetiba’s movie The Wedding Party, which had held the record for four years. According to a statement released by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) in January 2021, the movie made N468.036.300 after staying at the top of the box office for three weeks straight.

Funke Akindele’s filmography features such titles as Agbefo, Aje Metta, Akandun, Anointed Liars, Apaadi, Apoti Orogun, Atanpako Meta, Battle on Buka Street, Baye se Nlo, Bolode O’ku, Chief Daddy, Dwindle, Edunjobi, Egun, Emi Abata, Farayola, Ija Ola, Industreet, Isoken, Jenifa, Jenifa’s Diary, Kakaki ‘leku, Kòséfowórà, Ladies Gang, Love Wahala, Maami, Maku, Married but Living Single, Moms at War, Oba Irawo, Odun Baku, Okun Ife Yi, Omo Ghetto, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Omo Pupa, Oreke Mulero, Osuwon Edaf, Return of Jenifa, My Siblings and I, Trip to Jamaica, Taiwo Taiwo, Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke, Your Excellency, Who’s the Boss, and Far From Home.

Funke Akindele was named the Best Actress in a Leading Role by the Africa Movie Academy in 2009. Nigeria’s Best Actress of 2009, at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards; the Best Actress award at the 2012 Nigeria Entertainment Awards; Best Actress (Indigenous) at the 2012 Nollywood Movies Awards; Best Actress (Zulu) at the 2012 Zulu African Film Academy Awards; Best Actress (Indigenous) at the 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards; Best Actress (Leading Role) at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards; Best Actress in a Comedy, 2014 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards; Best Brand Ambassador at the 2014 ELOY Awards; Best Actress in a Comedic Role, 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards; 2016 Naija FM Best Actress in Comedy and Sitcom of the Year Awards; Best Actress at the 2016 Africa Entertainment Legend Awards; Winner of the 2016 Ghana Movie Awards for Best Actress in Africa; Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards for Best Television Series in 2017; Best Lead Actress at the 2017 Nigeria Entertainment Awards; Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2020 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards; Most Popular Actress at the 2021 Net Honours; Best Actress in a Comedy and Best Costume Designer at the 2022 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards; Most Popular Actress at the 2022 NET Honours.

Funke Akindele was also nominated for the 2010 Best of Nollywood Awards for Best Best Actress in a Leading Role (Yoruba), 2012 Best of Nollywood Awards for Best Best Actress (English), the 2013 Nollywood Movies Awards for Best Actress (Leading Role), the 2016 Nigeria Entertainment Awards for Best Actress Series, the 2017 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Movie or TV Series, and the 2021 Net Honours for Most Searched Actress; Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2021 Africa Movie Academy Awards; Best Movie West Africa, Best Overall Movie, Best Television Series, and Best Africa Magic Original Comedy Series at the 2022 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards.

Funke Akindele Ethnicity

Funke Akindele’s family is from Southwest Nigeria, and they are Yoruba.

Funke Akindele Parents

Adebanjo and Godwin Olusoji Akindele are Funke Akindele’s parents.

Funke Akindele Siblings

Olubumi, Abimbola, and Poga Akindele are siblings of Funke Akindele.

Funke Akindele Religion

Funke Akindele identifies herself as a Christian.

Funke Akindele Husband

Funke Akindele tied the knot with Adeola Kehinde Oloyede in 2012, and the couple then divorced the following year in 2013. She eventually tied the knot with Abdulrasheed Bello (JJC Skillz) in 2016.

Funke Akindele Children

In December 2018, Funke Akindele became a mother to a set of twin boys. Zack and Zion Bello are their names.

Funke Akindele Social Media

Funke Akindele can be found on Twitter as @funkeakindele, and she can also be found on Instagram as @funkejenifaakindele. She uses the handle @officialfunkeakindele on Facebook.