The latest exchange between veteran filmmaker Kunle Afolayan and actress‑filmmaker Funke Akindele began with Afolayan’s comments on movie promotion strategies and box office success.
Afolayan’s Comments:
At events including the Lagos Business of Film Summit and during promotional interviews, Afolayan spoke about his frustration with modern marketing trends in Nollywood—especially the heavy reliance on dance skits, social media content and constant online promotion to sell films.
He said such demands can be “draining” and exhausting. Afolayan also questioned the meaning of big box‑office numbers if creators don’t earn substantial personal returns from them.
“It is draining. I want to make a film if you guarantee me that I don’t have to dance to sell that film,” Afolayan said, explaining why he finds this approach unsustainable. 
He also made remarks about box office figures vs. personal earnings:
“There’s no competition. I don’t want two billion in cinema, or even one billion, if I won’t make ten million from it,” he added. 
Afolayan pointed to successful filmmakers like Funke Akindele, who has recently set box office records, as examples of those embracing the viral‑driven promotional culture ,though he said he personally cannot keep up with such tactics. 
Funke Akindele’s Reaction
Funke Akindele responded publicly through a series of Instagram Story posts and a dance video, widely interpreted as replies to Afolayan’s remarks:
Akindele stressed that she was not responsible for hindering anyone’s progress and encouraged creatives to focus on their own paths rather than criticising others.
“I’m not the one hindering your progress… 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,” she wrote. 
She also urged filmmakers to develop alternative marketing strategies or hire professionals if traditional methods feel overwhelming, emphasising that the industry has room for many approaches. 
In a more direct and playful response, Akindele posted a dance video promoting her blockbuster film Behind the Scenes ,which has grossed over ₦2.4 billion ,seemingly embracing the very promotional style Afolayan critiqued. 
In that post she wrote:
“BEHIND THE SCENES IS STILL IN ALL CINEMAS NATIONWIDE!! ALSO SHOWING IN THE UK, US AND CANADA…” urging fans to watch the film. 
Public Interpretation and Industry Impact
Their exchange has sparked conversations around creative marketing, filmmaker individuality, and how Nollywood measures success—whether through box office numbers, personal profit, or creative satisfaction.
Funke Akindele’s blockbuster success, including Behind the Scenes becoming one of the first Nollywood films to gross over ₦2 billion at the box office, provides context for why her marketing style is influential. 
Some fans see the back‑and‑forth as a healthy industry debate, while others interpret it as a clash between different generational or stylistic approaches to filmmaking and promotion in Nollywood