Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has said that filmmaker Funke Akindele’s blockbuster movie A Tribe Called Judah reflects the challenges encountered by Nigerians.
The movie broke a box office record within three weeks of its release in cinemas to become the first Nollywood film to gross N1 billion.
On Saturday, Obi wrote on social media, “It is heartwarming to learn that ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ a movie by Nigerian Movie Producer, @funkeakindele, has achieved a record-breaking earning of N1 billion, in just 3 weeks of its release,” adding that the feat was a “historic moment in our Nigerian movie industry.”
The former Anambra State governor noted that Nollywood has remained one of Nigeria’s “biggest exports” in the past 10 years – which is affirmed by the works of the talented actress and movie producer.
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“Nollywood remains one of the biggest exports of our country in the last decade and shows the inherent potential in our people which Akindele has copiously brought out in all her works. I congratulate Funke Akindele for achieving this feat which is a bold testament to her passion, hard work, and dedication in the movie industry,” he stated.
He also commended Funke for having two of her previous movies – Battle on Buka Street and Omo Ghetto, sitting as the “second and third highest-grossing films at the Nigerian box office respectively.”
However, Obi stated that Funke’s latest movie touches on “some of the complex challenges faced by many less-privileged families in Nigeria, in their struggles for survival.”
Obi urged Nollywood to “continue to tell stories that will inspire hard work, integrity, and productivity among Nigerians…”
