Toyin Abraham, a filmmaker and actress in Nollywood, has a message for Funke Akindele, a colleague.
Abraham praised Akindele for her hard work and for setting a pace in the industry in a lengthy Instagram post.
The thespian lamented that gossip had made her and Akindele rivals and “persona non grata.”
According to Abraham, their rivalry began in the Yoruba film industry and spread to the Nigerian-English film industry when they entered Nollywood.
The actress claimed that she and Akindele are fiercely competitive women who love to win and, as a result, dishonor one another.
Abraham, on the other hand, stated that her experience and wisdom have made her realize that they can compete without being antagonistic.
She wrote, “In the English industry, Aunty Funke and I continued the ‘rivalry, sort of. It pitted our fans against each other. We are two competitive Virgo women; we love to win, and sometimes, in that process, we splash dirt and mud. But with time, age, and more wisdom, I have realized we can compete without being negatively competitive.
“Aunty Funke, I celebrate you for showing us what is possible. You are a winner. You sold over 1B; you made it possible for other women to dream. You ran us down the street with that 1B. This year, many of us will move to 1B, and we pray God makes you bigger. Thank you for making great movies and selling them like your life depends on them. You taught other women to hustle harder.
“I had set records in box office records, and Aunty came and beat them today. I am happy because she has challenged me to set higher goals. Sis, let’s compliment each other even in competition at the box office. I owe you one post in December (only one, I need to sell the market)). I pray that God will make all your dreams come true. I admire you and wish you all the best.”