Adams Azeez | Creative Strategist

The industry big sisters don’t like Toyin Abraham and the reasons aren’t hard to see. It’s a mix of competition and insecurity. And it has nothing to do with her relationship with Funke Akindele. Toyin Abraham is their junior in the Industry, but she outpaced all but one of them and cleared the billion-naira mark at the box office, becoming only the second person in Nollywood history to achieve that milestone. Importantly, she did it without the push or contribution of the industry big aunties. So none of them can say they blew her. Naturally, this will create tension. In such situations, the alignment is strategic, not sincere. Due to this, many will gravitate towards Funke Akindele because she represents a benchmark they CANNOT beat, sort of like a moving train they can’t stop. So, they’d rather not try. To the haters, Funke Akindele became the convenient counterweight to Toyin’s rise. The enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of dynamic. Toyin’s rise is/was a disruption to the established order, quite similar to Funke’s in the late 2000s to early 2010s, and they extended this same disdain towards Funke until she became too successful to hate on. That being said, I have an important note for @toyin_abraham1: 1. You need to understand your worth and the premium on it. It’s not important you have a relationship with Funke, but it would be beautiful to see if it can work. However, if it won’t, stop trying too hard. You and her are flying, that’s all that is important. 2. At this point, you are now too big to seek validation, people should extend validations towards you and seek it from you. 3. Never forget that you got to where you are now against all odds, the industry big sis will not like you until you beat them to submission like Funke and they move to the next fast riser. 4. You have to tighten up and start seeing yourself as one of the ONLY two people in Nigerian movie industry to gross over 1billion on a single movie. 5. Carry your shoulder! The industry big sisters (except Funke Akindele) should be coming to you.

Let me be honest about what happened at that premiere, because people are talking around it without saying anything real… So Toyin Abraham walked over to greet Funke Akindele. Funke looked away. Toyin greeted other people at the same table and left. And somehow the internet decided the lesson is that Toyin @toyin_abraham1 should know her place and stop seeking validation. That logic doesn't work. Toyin Abraham crossed ₦1 billion naira this February with Oversabi Aunty. First solo debut director in Nollywood history to hit that number. So when people say "carry yourself like you're on Funke's level", she already is. The only difference is Funke got there first and has done it more times. But a billion is a billion. Now here is the brutal truth, nobody is saying… When Toyin wrote that long public post in 2024 praising Funke and calling for peace, Funke replied with two sentences. "Toyin baby. All the best dear." In Yoruba industry language, "all the best" from someone you've had a cold war with doesn't mean we're good. It means stay on your side. Toyin either didn't read that signal or chose to ignore it. Both say something about her character. You see, the rivalry between these two didn't start from nowhere. It started in the Yoruba film industry when the money was small and you either controlled your lane or someone else took it. There were camps. There were whispers. Beefs that ran years without a public word but showed up in every premiere invitation that didn't come, every collaboration that mysteriously never happened. Iyabo Ojo alleged in 2021 that Funke paid a platform to give Toyin's Ghost and the Tout Too a bad review. That was never confirmed. But what people forget is, Toyin went on radio and defended Funke publicly. The woman they say keeps crawling back for validation went on air to protect the person the internet says is too big for her. Who does that and lacks self-awareness? Yes, Funke Akindele is arguably the most complete filmmaker Nollywood has ever produced. I'm not dragging her. But sitting at a table, having someone touch your shoulder and call your name, and choosing to look away, that’s not really strength, it’s more of a message. Basically saying, this relationship doesn’t serve me. But don't tell Toyin she's wrong for not internalizing that message quietly. She went to an industry event and greeted a colleague. That's professionalism. And when she got the cold shoulder, she unfollowed and said she'd never greet her again. That's also professionalism. Know when you've extended enough. It’s not really about stopping but just knowing you’ve done enough, and it’s okay to step back now. Power is also transient. Every record gets broken. Every throne has a generation. The gap between these two is closing in real time, not because Toyin is catching up, but she's building her own legacy that doesn't need Funke's blessing to be real. Both women will be fine. But the one who chose connection over cold war will sleep better at the end of all of this.

Let me be honest about what happened at that premiere, because people are talking around it without saying anything real… So Toyin Abraham walked over to greet Funke Akindele. Funke looked away. Toyin greeted other people at the same table and left. And somehow the internet decided the lesson is that Toyin @toyin_abraham1 should know her place and stop seeking validation. That logic doesn't work. Toyin Abraham crossed ₦1 billion naira this February with Oversabi Aunty. First solo debut director in Nollywood history to hit that number. So when people say "carry yourself like you're on Funke's level", she already is. The only difference is Funke got there first and has done it more times. But a billion is a billion. Now here is the brutal truth, nobody is saying… When Toyin wrote that long public post in 2024 praising Funke and calling for peace, Funke replied with two sentences. "Toyin baby. All the best dear." In Yoruba industry language, "all the best" from someone you've had a cold war with doesn't mean we're good. It means stay on your side. Toyin either didn't read that signal or chose to ignore it. Both say something about her character. You see, the rivalry between these two didn't start from nowhere. It started in the Yoruba film industry when the money was small and you either controlled your lane or someone else took it. There were camps. There were whispers. Beefs that ran years without a public word but showed up in every premiere invitation that didn't come, every collaboration that mysteriously never happened. Iyabo Ojo alleged in 2021 that Funke paid a platform to give Toyin's Ghost and the Tout Too a bad review. That was never confirmed. But what people forget is, Toyin went on radio and defended Funke publicly. The woman they say keeps crawling back for validation went on air to protect the person the internet says is too big for her. Who does that and lacks self-awareness? Yes, Funke Akindele is arguably the most complete filmmaker Nollywood has ever produced. I'm not dragging her. But sitting at a table, having someone touch your shoulder and call your name, and choosing to look away, that’s not really strength, it’s more of a message. Basically saying, this relationship doesn’t serve me. But don't tell Toyin she's wrong for not internalizing that message quietly. She went to an industry event and greeted a colleague. That's professionalism. And when she got the cold shoulder, she unfollowed and said she'd never greet her again. That's also professionalism. Know when you've extended enough. It’s not really about stopping but just knowing you’ve done enough, and it’s okay to step back now. Power is also transient. Every record gets broken. Every throne has a generation. The gap between these two is closing in real time, not because Toyin is catching up, but she's building her own legacy that doesn't need Funke's blessing to be real. Both women will be fine. But the one who chose connection over cold war will sleep better at the end of all of this.

@john322226 A Rich man greatest fear is raising a spoilt kids

THANKS TO @john322226 , I NOW HAVE 1K FOLLOWERS FROM HIS COMMENT SECTION. I ALSO HAVE 450 VERIFYED AND ACTIVE FOLLOWERS

@john322226 I supported you when you had nothing, be grateful