By Ghazali Ibrahim
Veteran filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has taken a swift and sharp response after actress and producer Toyin Abraham weighed into the heated online exchange involving him and Funke Akindele over cinema earnings and creative value in Nollywood.
The controversy began after Afolayan stated during a recent conversation that he had little interest in celebrating ₦1 billion or ₦2 billion box office milestones if such figures do not translate to at least ₦10 million in personal returns.
Though he mentioned no names, the comment sparked widespread reactions, coming amid record-breaking cinema performances by Funke Akindele’s Behind the Scenes and Toyin Abraham’s Oversabi Aunty.
Funke Akindele was the first to respond, distancing herself from Afolayan’s remarks and insisting she was not responsible for anyone’s career stagnation, while taking a swipe at his decision to release an indigenous film on Netflix.
Toyin Abraham later escalated the drama with a satirical Instagram video, mockingly referencing a filmmaker who allegedly questioned how ₦1 billion in cinema revenue could not yield ₦10 million in profit. In the clip, she jokingly appealed to Nigerians abroad to help push Oversabi Aunty to ₦1.5 billion so she could “at least make ₦15 million.”
Unamused by the skit, Afolayan took to the comment section to issue a sharp response. Reacting directly to Toyin’s video, the filmmaker wrote in Yoruba, “Toyin, Omo ale! Emi lo nba wi abi?”, a statement widely interpreted as a blunt rebuttal, suggesting he felt personally targeted by the actress’s satire.
His response has further fueled conversations online, with fans and industry observers divided over the ongoing clash, which has now grown into a broader debate about profit transparency, creative control, and the true meaning of success in Nollywood’s evolving cinema space.
As reactions continue to pour in, the industry watches closely to see whether the public spat will simmer down or spark even more pointed exchanges among Nollywood’s biggest names.
