Nollywood actress, filmmaker and producer Funke Akindele has set an ambitious ₦5 billion box-office target for her forthcoming movie, The Four: No One Fights Alone, as she intensifies efforts to take Nigerian films to international audiences.
Akindele disclosed her global expansion strategy during a fireside chat at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX) 2026, where she discussed digital marketing, influencer partnerships and her collaboration with Meta.
The filmmaker said achieving international recognition requires deliberate marketing, strategic partnerships and a strong connection with audiences across different platforms.
Akindele Explains Her Influencer Marketing Strategy
Akindele revealed that her promotional campaigns rely heavily on collaborations with micro-influencers rather than focusing exclusively on celebrities with large social media followings.
She explained that her team sometimes questions her decision to engage influencers with relatively small audiences, but she prioritises engagement, comments and likes over follower numbers.
“Let me talk about my collaboration with young influencers,” Akindele said.
“When I put up a list of influencers on TikTok, my team will ask, ‘This person has just 10,000 followers, why are you saying we should DM this person?’ I say, ‘Can’t you see the engagement? Don’t you see the comments on the page? Look at any post: look at the number of comments and likes.’”
She added that collaborations help expand the visibility of her productions and strengthen her audience base.
“Collaboration for me is very important because I need to keep spreading the news about my content. The more numbers I add to what I already have, the bigger I become,” she said.
Why Funke Akindele Partnered With Meta
The filmmaker also explained how her partnership with Meta, particularly through Facebook, would support her ambition to reach international audiences.
Speaking about her forthcoming movie, The Four: No One Fights Alone, she said the production was designed to attract viewers beyond West Africa.
“This new movie, The 401 Fights Alone—I want it to be global. We need that global representation; we want people worldwide to see and accept our content. And I’ve cooked it so well—the elements in there are wonderful,” she said.
Using a transport analogy, Akindele explained why Facebook was important to her global marketing plans.
“I need—let me use this word—a better transport system. Is it the molue or the danfo that will carry the gist worldwide? That’s Facebook! And I thought about it: Facebook is global, everybody knows Facebook. I needed to meet up with them so we could do something together.”
She added that her track record helped convince the technology company to work with her.
The partnership is expected to support promotional activities surrounding the film’s London and Lagos premieres, connecting Nigerian creators, celebrities and audiences across different markets.
₦5bn Box Office Target
Akindele also announced that she was targeting ₦5 billion in cinema revenue from her forthcoming production.
“I want to start with ₦5 billion. Let’s just start with that ₦5 billion target. When we get there, we’ll see if we can keep moving forward,” she said.
The target represents a significant ambition for the filmmaker, whose previous productions have achieved remarkable commercial success in Nigerian cinemas.
Her 2025 film, Behind The Scenes, reportedly grossed approximately ₦2.76 billion, while Everybody Loves Jenifa earned about ₦1.88 billion in 2024.
Other successful productions include A Tribe Called Judah, Battle on Buka Street and Omo Ghetto: The Saga.
The Four Secures Record-Breaking UK Premiere
A major highlight of Akindele’s international expansion strategy is the forthcoming UK premiere of The Four: No One Fights Alone.
The film is scheduled to premiere on November 29, 2026, at Odeon Luxe, Leicester Square, London. Tickets for the event reportedly sold out within two days.
The production is also scheduled for release in Nigerian cinemas on December 11, 2026.
Its cast includes Bisola Aiyeola, Chioma Akpotha, Waje, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Timini Egbuson, Lateef Adedimeji and Ali Nuhu.
The London premiere is expected to strengthen the international visibility of Nollywood and showcase the growing appetite for Nigerian films among audiences abroad.
Akindele’s strategy combines grassroots influencer engagement, digital partnerships and international premieres as she pursues her ₦5 billion box-office ambition.
