Funke Akindele talks about how he struggled as a student to survive at UNILAG

Actress and producer Funke Akindele has narrated how she took up different jobs as a student while studying at the University of Lagos to survive and support herself.

In a recent interview with BellaNaija, the award-winning filmmaker said she taught herself how to do nails by observing people in Yaba.

He recalled a painful incident where a customer slapped him because he was dissatisfied with his work.

“When I was at the University of Lagos, I used to make nails. One day I made nails for a girl, and she slapped me because they were rubbish. I learned by watching people make nails in Yaba. I would buy them, live in the corridor, and ask people to come and get their nails done,” he said.

According to him, making nails was just one of the many jobs he did as a student.

She said she also sells cakes, works as a make-up artist, handles costumes and scouts filming locations.

He mentioned that a make-up artist, Bimpe Onakoya, used to buy cakes from him, and he also did make-up and costumes for actresses, including Bukky Wright and Iyabo Ojo.

“I sold cakes. Bimpe Onakoya, a talented make-up artist, bought cakes from me. She did my make-up. I learned from people who did hair. I did make-up. I made costumes. I used to make costumes for Aunty Bukky Wright. Even Iyabo Ojo at that time. I would go to Yaba and buy costumes and iron them,” she said.

Akindele further revealed that he worked as a location manager, negotiating with homeowners to use their properties for shooting and taking a cut of the costs.

He also admitted that he sold beds at UNILAG to survive.

“I was a location manager. I would go to houses and knock. If they paid the owner N100,000, I could take 30 and pay the person 70. I sold beds at UNILAG so I could survive. I was a hustler. That’s why I was strict. Life taught me, and I couldn’t have done otherwise,” he said.