Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has found herself at the center of a heated online debate after sharing a behind-the-scenes post thanking the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) for supporting her upcoming film, THE FOUR. The post, made on August 12, 2026, celebrated the production of a train station promotional clip for the movie, which is scheduled for a nationwide cinema release on December 11.
Social media users quickly connected the shoot to the NRC’s suspension of its Kajola–Apapa passenger train service for three weeks, from July 6 to 27, 2026, citing scheduled maintenance on locomotives and coaches. Critics accused the production of prioritizing a movie shoot over public transport, while others defended the timing as coincidental.
Behind-the-Scenes Gratitude Turns Controversial
In her post on X, Akindele credited her production company VeryMadFilm, director Seyifunmi Makinde, her glam squad, and every crew member involved in the shoot. She wrote, "That train station announcement video looked effortless, but trust me, A LOT went into bringing that vision to life. The planning, the long hours, the details, the glam, the takes, the teamwork — everybody came ready to WORK."
Akindele closed with a pointed thank-you to the NRC, describing the corporation's involvement as "incredible support, not just for this video but throughout the making of THE FOUR." The post, however, landed awkwardly against the backdrop of the NRC’s recent suspension announcement, which had been made in late June 2026.
Social Media Reactions Split Over NRC Suspension Link
Reactions ranged from sharp criticism to strong defense of the actress. @IgbalodeGuy wrote, "Like the shutdown train so you can film with it. This country lasan…" @Erotic_shoppe commented, "Congratulations ? no wonder they announced that the train was going for maintenance for 3 weeks. You were the one using it ?"
@Xperience_Snr pushed back forcefully, stating, "This comment section is irritating. Alot of you Nigerians will unfortunately die without experiencing what it is to live in a 'civilized and functioning country'. If the alleged claim is true, she just sabotaged alot of people's livelihood, jobs and the pain of moving to their various destinations especially in this time of insecurities. Even the post said that 3 weeks was hell for lots of people .... Yet I'm seeing stupid stupid animalistic Nigerians in comment section shouting power. Tueh!!! You people are not ready to have a functioning society."
@YungMarlow22 added, "I'm shedding tears on comments section, no be life una dey live for this country. On top person wey dey inconvenience train users nah ehn una dey shout 'powerrrrr' ???" @_callmechi also weighed in, "Una dey shout power because na una fave, if a politician do it now y'all will start crying"
No Official Response Yet, Film Release Unaffected
As of the time of this article, Funke Akindele had not publicly addressed the speculation linking her shoot to the NRC suspension. Despite the controversy, THE FOUR, tagged with the slogan "No One Fights Alone," remains on course for its December 11 release.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Funke Akindele revealed the immense personal sacrifices she made while producing Behind The Scenes, which has grossed ₦2.7 billion at the Nigerian box office. She disclosed that the project demanded sleepless nights, missed meals, and abandoning social events to stay fully committed to her work. Now, the actress is finally enjoying rest and self-care after the film’s remarkable commercial success.
