Award-winning filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele has shared a heartfelt story about how she earned her first ₦1 million in 1999 through her breakout role as Bisi in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-sponsored television series, ‘I Need To Know.’
In a nostalgic video posted on her Instagram page, the 48-year-old actress revealed that the payment came after years of perseverance in the entertainment industry, where she began her career in 1996 taking minor roles and enduring multiple rejections.
“I made my first N1 million in 1999. I started my career from 1996, playing waka pass roles, going for auditions and getting a lot of nos,” she said.
“Then I got one big yes to play ‘Bisi’ in ‘I Need To Know’, and that was how I made my first million. We were paid per episode and altogether the money was a lot.”
The hit series, which aired between 1998 and 2002, followed the life of a teenage girl navigating issues around adolescence, social values, and personal growth. Akindele was just 22 years old at the time, having been born in August 1977.
The actress fondly recalled how she shared the exciting news with her mother, who advised her to tithe and save a portion of the earnings.
“I was shocked that me, who always jumped okada and trekked a lot, was paid over ₦1 million. I told my mum about the money and she advised me to pay my tithe first and then save,” she recounted.
“I went to Yaba market to buy clothes, shoes, and bags. I didn’t have shoes or good clothes before then, so I changed my wardrobe. The girl that had no shoes yesterday has today. See, I don’t even know which to choose from.”
