ICONS: Funke Akindele (Jenifa)

• She is a Nigerian film actress, producer and politician.

• Born on Wednesday, August 24, 1977, in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria. She is the second of three children (two girls and one boy). Her mother is a medical doctor, while her father was a retired school principal.

• She attended Grace Children School, Gbagada, Lagos State. She obtained an Ordinary National Diploma, OND, in Mass Communication from the former Ogun State Polytechnic, now known as Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State. She earned a Law degree from the University of Lagos.

• She starred in the sitcom, ‘I Need to Know’ from 1998 to 2002, and in 2009, she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She rose to fame for her role in the movie titled, ‘Jenifa’, which earned her the nickname Jenifa. The Omo Ghetto trilogy contributed to her fame. Funke Akindele played the lead role in the show ‘Jenifa’s Diary’, for which she was named the Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards.

• Funke Akindele runs a non-governmental organisation, known as the Jenifa Foundation, which aims at providing young people with vocational skills.

• She made her directorial debut in the 2019 political drama film, ‘Your Excellency’.

• Recently, 44-year-old Funke Akindele was nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, as his running mate for the 2023 Lagos State governorship election.