Funke Akindele Recounts Earning Her First ₦1 Million from ‘I Need to Know’

By Cookey Mba

Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has revealed how she earned her first ₦1 million in 1999 from her breakout role as Bisi in the popular educational television series I Need to Know.

In a video shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Akindele reflected on her early struggles in the entertainment industry, recalling how her journey to stardom began in 1996 with minor “waka pass” roles and repeated rejections at auditions.

“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,” she said.

Her persistence eventually paid off when she landed the lead role in I Need to Know, a project that not only brought her into the limelight but also earned her her first major paycheck.

“Then I got one big yes with I Need to Know, and that is how I got my first ₦1 million,” she recalled.

Akindele also shared how she spent the money, revealing that the first person she informed was her mother, who advised her to pay her tithe before spending it.

“What did I do with one million naira? First, I showed it to my mom. Of course, she knew about it, and then mommy advised that I have to pay my tithe first,” she said.

After paying her tithe, the actress said she went shopping in Yaba to revamp her wardrobe.
“I didn’t have shoes. I changed my wardrobe, shoes, bags, everything. The girl that had no shoes yesterday has today,” Akindele added.