To make ends meet at UNILAG, Funke Akindele resorted to doing manicures, renting out her bed and baking cakes.

Ace Nollywood producer Funke Akindele has opened up about her numerous part-time jobs while studying at the University of Lagos, including a nail-making business that led to a painful encounter with a dissatisfied customer who slapped her.

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This particular experience left a mark on her, as she recalled making nails for a girl who was not satisfied with the job and reacted violently, slapping her because the nails were not well done.

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Akindele's foray into nail-making began when she taught herself the craft by observing others at Yaba, and she would buy nail-making supplies, offer her services to people in the corridor, and charge for her work.

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However, nail-making was just one of the many businesses she ran while in school, as she also ventured into selling cakes, working as a makeup artist, designing costumes, and sourcing filming locations to make a living.

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Notably, she had a client in Bimpe Onakoya, a talented makeup artist, who would buy cakes from her and also offer to do her makeup, and Akindele also learned from people making hair and went on to do makeup and costuming for notable figures like Aunty Bukky Wright and Iyabo Ojo.

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To make costumes, she would go to Yaba, buy the materials, and then iron them, showcasing her resourcefulness and determination to earn a living.

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Her entrepreneurial spirit also led her to work behind the scenes in the film industry as a location manager, where she would negotiate with homeowners to use their properties as filming locations and take a commission from the payment.

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Furthermore, she found unconventional ways to generate income while on campus, including selling bed space in UNILAG, a testament to her resourcefulness and determination to survive.

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Akindele attributed her firm stance and strong work ethic to her experiences, stating that life has taught her to be a hustler and that she cannot do otherwise, highlighting the significant impact of her university days on her personality and approach to work.