Once upon a time, Nollywood was all about VCDs, dramatic zoom-ins, and aunties watching films at full volume by 6 a.m. Fast-forward to today, and we’re talking packed cinemas, sold-out premieres, and movies casually pulling in billions of naira like it’s light work. Nollywood didn’t just glow up; it leveled up.
This list isn’t about “good movies” in the polite sense. It’s about films that moved crowds, broke records, crashed box-office ceilings, and had Nigerians arguing online, rewatching scenes, and dragging friends to the cinema “by force.” These are the movies that proved one thing clearly: when Nollywood gets it right, the audience will always show up.
Here we list the highest-grossing Nollywood movies of all time.
Behind The Scenes (2025)
Box Office: ₦2.1 Billion
Directors: Funke Akindele & Tunde Olaoye
Distributor: FilmOne Entertainment
Main Cast: Funke Akindele, Scarlet Gomez, Tobi Bakre, Uzor Arukwe, Ini Dima‑Okojie, Iyabo Ojo, Mr Macaroni, Destiny Etiko, Ibrahim Chatta, and Victoria Vee Adeyele.
Plot Summary: This blockbuster drama centres on Aderonke “Ronky‑Fella” Faniran, a successful real estate entrepreneur whose generosity toward family, friends, and community begins to strain her personal life. As demands grow and boundaries blur, she is forced to confront betrayal, misplaced loyalty, and the real cost of success, especially as she balances public expectations with private vulnerabilities.
Behind the Scenes redefined commercial cinema in Nollywood by becoming the first Nigerian film to gross over ₦2 billion, shattering previous box‑office records and cementing Funke Akindele’s status as one of Africa’s most successful filmmakers.
Everybody Loves Jennifa (2024)
Box Office: ₦1.88 Billion
Producer: Funke Akindele (Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network – FAAN)
Directors: Funke Akindele & Tunde Olaoye
Distributor: FilmOne Entertainment
Main Cast: Funke Akindele, Falz, Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Jackie Appiah, Patience Ozokwor, Omowunmi Dada, Chimezie Imo, Layi Wasabi.
Plot Summary: This blockbuster continuation of the Jenifa universe sees Jenifa evolve from comic relief into a social force. Now running a women-focused NGO, she faces her biggest challenge yet when Lobster, a polished and manipulative rival, threatens her credibility, relationships, and mission. The film blends satire, social commentary, and broad comedy while interrogating influence, class mobility, and moral compromise.
Everybody Loves Jennifa broke every existing Nollywood box-office record and became the First Nigerian film to cross ₦1 billion in under three weeks.
A Tribe Called Judah (2023)
Box Office: ₦1.40 Billion
Producer: Funke Akindele (FAAN)
Director: Funke Akindele & Adeoluwa Owu
Distributor: FilmOne
Main Cast: Funke Akindele, Timini Egbuson, Jide Kene Achufusi, Olumide Oworu, Eniola Badmus, Uzee Usman.
Plot Summary: Jedidah Judah, a struggling single mother, raises five sons under crushing economic pressure. When a life-threatening illness threatens her survival, the boys; each flawed, stubborn, and desperate must unite to save the woman who held them together. The story balances emotional realism with humor, portraying survival, masculinity, and family loyalty in urban Nigeria.
A Tribe Called Judah became the first Nollywood film ever to hit ₦1 billion, resetting expectations for local cinema revenue.
Oversabi Aunty (2025)
Box Office: ₦863 Million
Producer/Director: Toyin Abraham
Distributor: FilmOne Entertainment
Main Cast: Toyin Abraham, Mike Ezuruonye, Efe Irele, Queen Nwokoye, Jemima Osunde, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, Tana Adelana, Toyin Afolayan.
Plot Summary: A comedy‑drama that follows Toun, a zealous church usher convinced that she must “fix” everyone around her; from family to neighbours leading to escalating chaos. When a wedding introduction spirals into public spectacle, Toun must reckon with how her moral policing has impacted her home, children, and identity. The story uses humour to explore themes of faith, family boundaries, cultural expectations, and self‑awareness.
Battle on Buka Street (2022)
Box Office: ₦670 Million
Producers: Funke Akindele & Nicole Ofoegbu
Directors: Funke Akindele & Tobi Makinde
Main Cast: Funke Akindele, Mercy Johnson, Sola Sobowale, Nkem Owoh, Tina Mba, Femi Jacobs
Plot Summary: Two estranged half-sisters reunite as rival food vendors on the same street. What starts as petty competition escalates into an all-out culinary war filled with sabotage, gossip, and buried family trauma. Beneath the comedy lies a story about resentment, pride, and reconciliation.
Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020)
Box Office: ₦636 Million
Producers: Funke Akindele & Wendy Uwadiae
Directors: Funke Akindele & JJC Skillz
Main Cast: Funke Akindele, Chioma Akpotha, Nancy Isime, Eniola Badmus, Mercy Aigbe.
Plot Summary: Twin sisters, Lefty, a hardened street thug, and Righty, a polished executive, are separated by fate and reunited by chaos. As gang wars, power struggles, and personal secrets unfold, the sisters must confront identity, loyalty, and survival.
Gingerrr (2025)
Box Office: ₦522 Million
Director: Yemi Morafa
Distributor: Cinemax
Main Cast: Bisola Aiyeola, Bolaji Ogunmola, Bukunmi Adeaga‑Ilori, Wumi Toriola, Timini Egbuson, Odunlade Adekola, Lateef Adedimeji, Shaffy Bello, Mr Macaroni.
Plot Summary: Gingerrr is a female‑led action comedy thriller that follows four determined women who band together for a high‑stakes heist to escape their pasts and reshape their futures. As they push forward with their bold plan, hidden motives and personal secrets threaten to unravel their alliance, blending suspense with comedy and sharp character interplay.
Alakada: Bad and Boujee (2024)
Box Office: ₦500 Million
Producer: Toyin Abraham Film Productions
Director: Adebayo Tijani
Main Cast: Toyin Abraham, Mercy Aigbe, Mr Macaroni, Broda Shaggi, Jackie Appiah
Plot Summary: Yetunde returns—still lying, still scheming, still desperate to appear “high class.” This installment satirizes social media clout, influencer culture, and Nigeria’s obsession with appearances, as Yetunde’s fabrications spiral beyond her control.
The Wedding Party (2016)
Box Office: ₦452 Million
Producer: Mo Abudu (EbonyLife Films)
Director: Kemi Adetiba
Main Cast: Banky W, Adesua Etomi, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Ireti Doyle
Plot Summary: A lavish Lagos wedding unravels into chaos as family feuds, old lovers, and cultural tensions erupt. The film captures Nigerian elite society with humor, elegance, and sharp social observation.
Wedding Party was the first Nollywood film to gross over ₦400M and marked the beginning of modern, luxury Nollywood cinema.
The Wedding Party 2 (2017)
Box Office: ₦433 Million
Producer: EbonyLife Films
Director: Niyi Akinmolayan
Main Cast: Banky W, Adesua Etomi, Ramsey Nouah, Daniella Down, Ali Baba.
Plot Summary: A destination wedding in Dubai brings new tensions, cross-cultural misunderstandings, and romantic uncertainty. Bigger, flashier, and more chaotic than the first.
The list of the highest-grossing Nollywood movies of all time shows that the rise of billion-naira box-office films is not accidental. It is the result of deliberate branding, consistent audience engagement, strategic release windows, and stories that feel unmistakably Nigerian yet universally relatable. The dominance of repeat filmmakers and franchises on this list underscores an important truth: trust sells tickets. Audiences return when they believe in the storyteller.
As cinema infrastructure improves and data-driven distribution becomes more refined, Nollywood’s ceiling will only rise. These ten films stand as proof that Nigerian cinema can compete at scale, build lasting intellectual property, and convert cultural influence into measurable economic power. The future of Nollywood is not just creative; it is commercial, confident, and firmly in its blockbuster era.
