Funke Akindele's Maternal Instincts

by Jídé Salawu

Funke Akindele’s A Tribe Called Judah is a box-office recordbreaker, racking up about 1.5 billion naira (roughly 1 million USD) in cinemas across the United Kingdom and in Nigeria and other African countries so far, according to Nairametrics. After months in cinemas, the film is currently showing on Amazon Prime. These metrics, the highest ever for a Nigerian production, distinguish Funke Akindele’s marketing genius, as well as her success as a female Nollywood performer, producer, and director. 

A Tribe Called Judah describes the power of a nuclear family headed by a matriarch, with the fathers completely missing from the scene. The film is also a tribute to the hopes of Nigeria’s young people in a time of crisis and ailing nationhood.