Tinubu congratulates Funke Akindele on box office record, salutes Nigerian creatives

President Bola Tinubu congratulated Funke Akindele on her record-breaking film ‘A Tribe Called Judah,’ which broke a box office record within 21 days of its release to become the first Nollywood film to gross N1 billion, and praised the ace thespian for her contributions to the industry’s growth.

President Tinubu further praised the innovation, originality, and vast artistic talents of Nigeria’s growing entertainment sector in a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

He lauded the excellence of Nigeria’s creative industry, recognising its critical role not only as a medium for artistic expression but also as a source of enormous soft power and feasible 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.

On December 15, 2023, according rep News Agency of Nigeria, the movie 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 millions within the first 14 days of its release.

The film earlier made history on January 2, as it emerged as 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 currently sit as the second and third highest-grossing films at the Nigerian box office respectively.