“I Build My Set Myself” — Funke Akindele Reveals, As She Opens Up On Cost Of ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed that she constructs her own film sets from scratch rather than shooting in people’s houses.

She made this known during an interview with CNN International correspondent Larry Madowo, explaining that she typically rents or buys a space and then builds the set herself to achieve her desired vision.

The box office queen noted that this approach contributed to making her 2024 record-breaking cinema movie, 'Everybody Loves Jenifa', the most expensive film she has ever produced.

The filmmaker cited the high cost of transporting the entire cast and crew to Ghana, where they filmed at the Safari Valley Resort, which she described as a very costly location. She added that the production was shot in both Ghana and Nigeria.

She said:
“I build my set by myself. I don’t go to people’s houses to shoot. I create my set myself. I would rent out a place, or buy a place and start constructing my set there.”

“Everybody Loves Jenifa is a very expensive film because we went to Ghana. We filmed in Ghana and Nigeria. We flew all the cast and crew to Ghana. We filmed in Safari Valley Resort. That is a very expensive place to film.”

'Everybody Loves Jenifa' was released on December 13, 2024.

The film, directed by Akindele and Tunde Olaoye, featured actors including Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Falz, Lateef Adedimeji, Jackie Appiah, and Patience Ozokwor.

It grossed N1.88 billion at the Nigerian box office, according to reports.