Popular Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has reacted to comments made by her colleague, Kunle Afolayan, on profit-making strategies in the Nigerian film industry and blockbuster cinema earnings running into billions of naira. Afolayan, in a series of videos, had criticised what he described as the current marketing culture surrounding cinema releases, questioning the sustainability and personal financial benefits of such strategies. Speaking during the launch of his movie Anikulapo, the filmmaker dismissed the idea of competing over box office figures, arguing that high gross earnings do not always translate to personal profit. “There is no competition between us. I don’t just want N1 billion or N2 billion in the cinema that I won’t be able to personally receive N10 million from,” he said. He further elaborated on his stance during an appearance at the Lagos Business of Film Summit, where he explained why he does not actively collaborate with cinema-focused marketing approaches. “I want to make a film if you can guarantee I don’t have to dance to sell. We need to come up with other strategies. How do we sell without exhausting ourselves? I don’t know how the likes of Funke Akindele and others are doing it. Creating skits every day, changing costumes all the time. I can’t do it,” Afolayan said. Reacting to the remarks via her Instagram story, Funke Akindele attributed his comments to jealousy and insisted that she was not responsible for anyone’s lack of progress in the industry. “I’m not the one hindering your progress. Ka rin ka po, yiye ni n ye ni,” she wrote. She encouraged creatives to focus on their individual journeys rather than comparing themselves to others, stressing that success comes in different forms. “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. Eyin Werey jojo. 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. “Go ahead and create alternative promotion or marketing strategies for promoting your business, or hire a company to handle it”, she said. Trendbrio reports that Afolayan’s comments came against the backdrop of recent box office milestones, with Nollywood actresses Toyin Abraham and Funke Akindele recording cinema grosses of N1 billion and N2 billion respectively.