According to an intimate video interview granted to media platform BellaNaija, top Nollywood filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele opened up about the unconventional hustles she ran to survive during her undergraduate years. The record-breaking box office queen detailed her days as an amateur campus nail technician, hair stylist, and cake vendor at the University of Lagos.
The movie producer revealed that her path to self-sufficiency was paved with harsh trials, including an incident where a disgruntled peer slapped her over a poorly executed manicure. Rather than deterring her, the difficult experience fueled her drive to expand into locations management and costume styling for early industry stars.
A detailed write-up by Vanguard News tracked her varied campus businesses, capturing her admission that she even “sold bed space in UNILAG so I could survive.” The Nation Newspaper further validated the trending narrative, quoting Akindele’s assertion that “life taught me, and I cannot do otherwise,” explaining her firm reputation in business today.
### Echotitbits Take
Akindele’s transparent reflection strips away the polished glamour of celebrity lifestyle to deliver a powerful message on resilience. Her journey emphasizes that structural entrepreneurial grit, rather than immediate overnight success, forms the actual foundation of long-term entertainment empires.
Source: BellaNaija — https://www.bellanaija.com/funke-akindele-unilag-interview, July 8, 2026
Photo Credit: The Guardian
