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What Nollywood Stakeholde­rs Are Saying About ‘A Tribe Called Judah’

- Ferdinand Ekechukwu

NLJHULDQ DFWUHVV DQG ÀOPPDNHU Funke Akindele has continued to bask in the glow of her remarkable achievemen­t in the history of Nollywood. Her latest movie, ‘A Tribe Called Judah’, which grossed over N1 billion in cinema sales, has continued to draw excitement. With ‘A Tribe Called Judah’, )XQNH $NLQGHOH PDGH KLVWRU\ DV WKH ÀUVW 1LJHULDQ ÀOPPDNHU WR KLW 1 ELOOLRQ LQ FLQHPD VDOHV

7KH IHDW KDV VHW WKH UHDOPV RI 1LJHULD·V ÀOP industry buzzing since it was revealed a week ago. Commentari­es from the industry stakeholde­rs to Showbiz captured some opinion, amid reservatio­n, on the record of Akindele’s recent ER[ R΀FH VXFFHVV

Describing it as great milestone and win for the

LQGXVWU\ DFH 1LJHULDQ ÀOPPDNHU 2EL (PHORQ\H said. “First of all, let me congratula­te Funke Akindele and her team, including my brother and friend JideKene Achufusi.”

Continuing, the UK-based director and producer noted that, “What they have achieved with ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ is unpreceden­ted in our history. I don’t want to get bogged down in the FUDVV DUJXPHQW ZKHWKHU WKH ELOORQ SOXV ÀJXUH LV LQÁDWHG SDGGHG RU %%/ (G 7KH LPSRUWDQW WKLQJ LV WKDW WKH ÀOP KDV JDOYDQLVHG 1LJHULDQ cinema audiences at a time of great hardship in the country.

“And if we are arguing about the billion marks, which is double what the previous record is, then we are talking uncharted territory here. For that Funke and her team deserve respect and praise.

“Whichever way you look at it; it is great win for the industry that no one believed can make cinema work when we pioneered it 13 years ago. If Funke can do N1 billion with the number of cinemas in Nigeria today, just imagine WKH SRVVLELOLW­LHV IRU RXU LQGXVWU\ /DQGPDUN ÀOP Great milestone.”

Kunle Afolayan, attributed the feat to hard work, saying, “I congratula­ted her and the team ZKHQ WKH ÀOP ZDV UHOHDVHG DQG HQFRXUDJHG people to watch it. She and her team really worked very hard with the promotion of the ÀOP 7KDW·V DOO , FDQ VD\µ

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$QRWKHU ÀOPPDNHU %LJ 6DP EHOLHYHV WKDW “It is laudable achievemen­ts and one that is good for the whole industry generally. It shows it is possible. And it’s inspiring generation of ÀOPPDNHUV WR JR IRU LW 6R LW·V ZLQ ZLQ IRU WKH whole industry.

 ?? ?? Funke Akindele
Funke Akindele

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