Top 10: Nollywood’s biggest box-office hits of all time
Funke Akindele made five of the ten, and the record has been hers since 2021. The Nigerian films that have taken the most money in cinemas, with the figures and where they come from.
· 6 min read
Nollywood’s biggest box-office hits of all time
In April 2023, Nollywood’s box-office record stood at ₦668 million. In January 2026, Behind the Scenes became the first Nollywood film to take more than ₦2 billion in cinemas. Here are the ten Nigerian films that have taken the most money at the box office, counting down to number one.
One name runs through the list. Funke Akindele produced and co-directed five of the ten, and the record has belonged to one of her films since February 2021, when Omo Ghetto: The Saga overtook The Wedding Party. Toyin Abraham has two more.
Number 10: The Wedding Party (2016)
Directed by: Kemi Adetiba · Produced by: EbonyLife Films with FilmOne, Inkblot and Koga · Box office: ₦452 million
The romantic comedy about a Lagos society wedding, starring Adesua Etomi-Wellington and Banky W, showed that Nollywood could fill modern cinemas. Its distributor, FilmOne, named it the highest-grossing Nollywood film of the decade from 2010 to 2019, with ₦452 million.
It also travelled. In 2016 it opened the City to City programme at the Toronto International Film Festival. Its record lasted until early 2021.
Number 9: Alakada: Bad and Boujee (2024)
Directed by: Adebayo Tijani · Written, produced by and starring: Toyin Abraham · Box office: ₦500.3 million
The latest film in Toyin Abraham’s Alakada comedy series opened in December 2024 with ₦58.6 million in its first weekend and ₦134 million in its first week. It passed ₦500 million after 13 weeks in cinemas, Nairametrics reported in March 2025.
Number 8: Gingerrr (2025)
Directed by: Yemi Morafa · Executive produced by and starring: KieKie, Bisola Aiyeola, Bolaji Ogunmola and Wumi Toriola · Box office: ₦522.9 million
Most of the films on this list opened at Christmas. Gingerrr opened on 26 September 2025 and took ₦82.8 million in its first weekend, according to Nairametrics. FilmOne’s Box Office Year Book for 2025 puts its total at ₦522.9 million, BusinessDay reported. Its four leads also executive-produced it.
Number 7: Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020)
Directed by: Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz · Produced by and starring: Funke Akindele · Box office: ₦636 million
Funke Akindele’s sequel to her 2010 hit Omo Ghetto opened on Christmas Day 2020. In February 2021 it became the first Nollywood film to take more than ₦500 million, ending The Wedding Party’s run as the biggest Nollywood film, the News Agency of Nigeria reported. It finished on ₦636 million, according to FilmOne.
Number 6: Battle on Buka Street (2022)
Directed by: Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde · Starring: Funke Akindele and Mercy Johnson · Box office: ₦668.4 million
Funke Akindele and Mercy Johnson as rivals in the food business. In March 2023 it overtook Omo Ghetto: The Saga to become Nollywood’s biggest film, and it ended a 17-week run in April 2023 on ₦668.4 million. It also took about $61,000 in American cinemas, according to Nairametrics.
Number 5: Call of My Life (2026)
Directed by: Dammy Twitch · Produced by: Blessing Uzzi, Bluhouse Studios · Written by and starring: Uzoamaka Power · Box office: ₦901.3 million
The surprise of the year. The romantic comedy opened on 15 May 2026, far from the usual Christmas season, and in June became the first Nollywood film to take more than ₦600 million outside December, Nairametrics reported. FilmOne announced ₦893 million in September, and ShockNG puts its final total at ₦901.3 million.
It was Dammy Twitch’s first feature, and it won the audience award for a feature at the 2026 BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia, THEWILL reported.
Number 4: Oversabi Aunty (2025)
Directed by: Toyin Abraham · Produced by: Toyin Abraham with FilmOne Studios · Box office: about ₦1.16 billion
Toyin Abraham’s first film as a director opened on 19 December 2025. In January it became the first Nollywood directing debut to pass ₦1 billion, TheCable reported, and ShockNG put its total at ₦1.16 billion after an 11-week run. In March the National Film and Video Censors Board gave her its Box Office Champion award.
Number 3: A Tribe Called Judah (2023)
Directed by: Funke Akindele and Adeoluwa Owu · Produced by and starring: Funke Akindele · Box office: ₦1.4 billion
The first Nollywood film to take more than ₦1 billion. Funke Akindele plays a mother whose five sons plan a robbery. It opened with ₦113 million in its first weekend in December 2023 and ended an 11-week run on ₦1.4 billion from 374,552 admissions, according to Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria figures reported by Prime Business Africa.
Number 2: Everybody Loves Jenifa (2024)
Directed by: Funke Akindele and Tunde Olaoye · Produced by and starring: Funke Akindele · Box office: ₦1.88 billion
Jenifa, the character Funke Akindele first played in 2008, came back for Christmas 2024. The film passed ₦1 billion in 19 days, with 201,604 admissions by then, Nairametrics reported. It spent seven weekends at number one and finished on ₦1.88 billion, according to Pulse.
Number 1: Behind the Scenes (2025)
Directed by: Funke Akindele and Tunde Olaoye · Produced by and starring: Funke Akindele · Distributor: FilmOne · Box office: about ₦2.76 billion
Nollywood’s biggest film, by a distance. It opened on 12 December 2025 and took ₦512 million in 12 days, the fastest any Nollywood film had reached ₦500 million, and ₦129.5 million on Boxing Day alone, a single-day record.
On 13 January 2026 it became the first Nollywood film to pass ₦2 billion. When its cinema run ended in March it had taken about ₦2.76 billion from more than 450,000 admissions. It has been on Netflix since 3 April 2026.
One to watch
Agbara Nla: The Return opened on 2 October 2026 with ₦170.6 million, including previews, which Nairametrics called the third-biggest opening for a Nollywood film. It needs more than ₦452 million to join this list.
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Sources
Every fact in this list comes from these sources. How we check
- YNaija: Nigeria's highest-grossing film list is misleading (5 October 2026)
- Nollywire: Nigerian box office nears full reset as 2026 gross hits ₦8.8bn (3 July 2026)
- The Guardian Nigeria: Behind The Scenes grosses ₦512m in 12 days (22 December 2025)
- TheCable Lifestyle: Behind The Scenes is first Nollywood film to cross ₦2bn (13 January 2026)
- Nairametrics: Behind The Scenes becomes West Africa's highest-grossing film (8 January 2026)
- What Kept Me Up: Behind The Scenes heads to Netflix on 3 April (17 March 2026)
- Pulse: Everybody Loves Jenifa grosses ₦1.88bn (4 March 2025)
- Nairametrics: Everybody Loves Jenifa hits ₦1bn in 19 days (30 December 2024)
- Prime Business Africa: A Tribe Called Judah ends cinema run with ₦1.4bn (6 March 2024)
- TheCable Lifestyle: Oversabi Aunty crosses ₦1bn (26 January 2026)
- ShockNG: Inside Oversabi Aunty's box-office run (6 March 2026)
- The Gazette: NFVCB honours Toyin Abraham with Box Office Champion award (19 March 2026)
- ShockNG: Call of My Life reaches ₦901.3m (29 September 2026)
- THEWILL: Call of My Life hits ₦893m (8 September 2026)
- Nairametrics: Call of My Life crosses ₦600m (23 June 2026)
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