Nollywood actress Bunmi Nelson has opened up about her regret over dismissing opportunities to support Funke Akindele early in her career.

Speaking on the Talk to B podcast hosted by actress Biola Bayo, Nelson admitted that she never imagined Akindele would achieve the level of success she has today.

Reflecting on her experience, Nelson recalled that in 2006, Akindele approached her to use her house as a filming location after learning she had a suitable property. She said, “I used to give people my house to shoot. I just love it. I used to do location then, and I was also in a soap opera. Funke now approached me and said she needed a house. She even brought Mama Fali Werepe to our house then at Magodo that she wanted to shoot.”

Despite the opportunity, Nelson admitted that she often ignored Akindele’s calls, saying, “The mistake I now made was I just felt… she will be calling me then, I will just ignore. I don’t know if it was my village people ooo.”

Nelson also acknowledged that she missed a big opportunity in 2006 and 2007, noting that the industry was not as crowded as it is now.

“I had every opportunity when Funke was calling me because the industry was not overpopulated like now,” she said.

She added that Akindele had been encouraging people to join the Yoruba movie industry at the time, but she failed to see her potential.

“I didn’t see Funke Akindele going far; that’s why in life, don’t underestimate anyone. Don’t look down on anyone except when you’re admiring their shoe lace,” she said.

Reflecting on the lessons learned, Nelson emphasised the importance of humility, stating, “If I knew Funke would go far like this, I would have held her tight. If there’s anything I have learned in this life, it is humility. I’m more humble now than anything else because life has taught me the hard way that nothing is constant.”