Funke Akindele reveals how she earned her first ₦1 million from ‘I need to know’
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed that she earned her first ₦1 million in 1999 after securing the breakout role of Bisi in the popular television series I Need to Know.
In a video shared on her Instagram page on Saturday, Akindele reflected on her early struggles in the film industry, recalling how she began her career in 1996 with minor roles and numerous failed auditions before getting her big break.
“I made that around 1999. I started my career from like 1996, playing waka-pass roles, 1997 going for auditions, getting a lot of ‘nos’. Then I got one big ‘yes’ with I Need to Know, and that is how I got my first ₦1 million,” she said.
The actress also shared that she almost lost the role during the pilot shoot after being told she was “overacting.” According to her, the show’s producers advised her to study her script carefully and better understand the character of a teenager.
“I was told to go home and read my script, understand the character very well,” she recalled. “I was so worried. When I got home, my younger sister helped me practise, and she started reading the script like a teenager. That was how I got it right and secured the role.”
Akindele said she was surprised by her first major earnings, explaining that the payment was accumulated from several episodes of the TV series. She added that she followed her mother’s advice on how to spend the money wisely.
“What did I do with one million naira? First, I showed it to my mom. She advised me to pay my tithe first,” she said. “Then I entered Yaba because I didn’t have shoes or good clothes. I changed my wardrobe — shoes, bags, everything. The girl that had no shoes yesterday has today.”
Funke Akindele’s I Need to Know aired between 1997 and 2002 and became a landmark youth-oriented series that brought her into the limelight, marking the beginning of a remarkable career in Nollywood.
