Toyin Abraham praises Mercy Aigbe and Funke Akindele, celebrates female empowerment in Nollywood

Renowned Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Toyin Abraham has taken to her social media platforms to shower her colleagues, Mercy Aigbe and Funke Akindele, with heartfelt messages, praising their outstanding achievements in the Nigerian movie industry.

In a series of Instagram posts, acclaimed actress praised Mercy Aigbe for her remarkable success in the history of Nollywood, especially highlighting her recent blockbuster film ‘Ada Omo Daddy’ which grossed over N300 million at the cinemas after its release in December .

Toyin addressed Mercy as a bona fide star and expressed his admiration for the way Mercy combines her successful career with raising her children, Michelle and Juwon.

Furthermore, Toyin Abraham Funke praised Akindele and celebrated her exceptional achievement with the film ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ which became the highest grossing film of 2023. She compared Funke Akindele to legendary figures in Nollywood such as Fathia Williams and Bukky. Wright.

“If you guys knew that the competition was number one in the Yoruba industry at that time (I don’t know if it still exists though). The fierce competition created camps, enmity and much professional gossip. The main cause of arguments in the industry was ‘he said, she said’ before the age of social media,” she wrote.

“Dear Nollywood people, let me just emphasize this, stop tearing down the industry with your gossip. You’ve done a lot of damage with he-said, she-said. Let me go back to my story. In those days of the Yoruba film industry.”

“@funkejenifaakindele was number one after aunt Bukky and aunt Faithia. I was next in line. There was a lot of competition and with a lot of gossip in between, we became competitors and persona non grata. She moved to the English industry, I became number one before moving on too (a word of advice to young actors today: no one will be number one forever. It doesn’t mean you fall down the pecking order, it just might be ( You may go on to bigger things. Erora tele bashubashu. You don’t own the industry, the industry is bigger than you).”

‘Aunt Funke and I continue the rivalry in the English industry. It pitted our fans against each other. We are two competitive Virgo women, we love to win and sometimes we splash dirt and mud in the process. But with time, age, and more wisdom, I have come to realize that we can compete without being negatively competitive. Aunt Funke, I appreciate you showing us what is possible. You are a winner.”

“You’ve sold over 1 billion, you’ve made it possible for other women to dream. You put us out on the street with that 1B. This year many of us will be moving to 1B and we pray that God makes you bigger. Thank you for making great movies and selling them like your life depends on it. You’ve taught other women to work harder. I had set records in box office records, aunty came and beat them, today I am happy because she challenged me to set higher goals.

“Sis, let’s compliment each other, even in the competition at the box office, I owe you one post in December (just one, I have to sell at the market…Lol). I pray that God will make all your dreams come true. I admire you and wish you all the best.”

She continued: “@realmercyaigbe 7 I celebrate the woman you are becoming. You came first at the box office in December and you’ve proven what you can do. You gave everything. You have contributed to the story of strong women in Nollywood.”

“You have made many women proud. Thank you for writing a better story for women, while the world is busy writing a different story about women. You are a bona fide star. If you come to the theater in December, I owe you one post (Lol, you know I have to sell market o). Thank you for not making the competition negative in December. May God bless you more. By the way, you’re doing a great job with Michelle and Juwon. And may God keep you and your family. With love. T!”