Once upon a time, Nollywood movies only lived and died in our parents’ DVD players. But now, they’re making hundreds of millions at the local and international box office, with crowded cinemas on opening night.
This move has been propelled by filmmakers who consistently produce blockbusters. Armed with bigger budgets, superstar casts, viral marketing, and interesting stories that attract viewers to the cinemas, audiences have come to reward these filmmakers’ efforts.
Nollywood’s evolution is evident, and we see it in how movies perform at the box office.
Here are the highest-grossing Nollywood movies of all time.
10. Queen Lateefah (2024)
Gross: ₦365 million
Running time: 2h 5m
Director: Adeoluwa Owu
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Studio: Wumi Toriola Productions and Captain of the Sea Productions
This movie, an impressive debut from Wumi Toriola, explores the concept of living a fake life. Lateefah (Wumi Toriola), a businesswoman, carefully crafts an illusion of wealth and sophistication to conceal her humble beginnings. But her fake life leads to a romantic entanglement with the eligible Jide Rhodes (Kunle Remi).
The film grossed ₦350 million in two months. This is a leap from its strong opening, where it earned ₦150 million within 12 days and remained the top-grossing film for two consecutive weekends.
Queen Lateefah isn’t currently streaming anywhere.
9. Chief Daddy (2018)
Gross: ₦387 million
Running time: 1h 39m
Director: Niyi Akinmolayan
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Studio: Ebonylife Films
When billionaire Chief Beecroft (Taiwo Obileye) suddenly dies, his sprawling family erupts into pandemonium. Featuring Falz, Joke Silva, and the late Rachel Oniga, Chief Daddy dives into the chaotic battle for his fortune, delivering a hilarious and dramatic ride as wives, children, mistresses and their offspring scheme for their share.
Chief Daddy grossed ₦387 million for its cinema run. It was the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of 2018 ahead of King of Boys which amassed ₦245 million.
8. Ori: Rebirth (2025)
Gross: ₦406 million
Running time: 2h
Directors: Muyiwa Ademola, Adekola Tijani and Adebayo Salami
Genre: Drama
Studio: Muyiwa Ademola Productions
Ori: Rebirth is a 2025 reboot of the classic Yorùbá film Ori, by Muyiwa Ademola. This movie plunges into the Yorùbá religious concepts of fate (Ori) and divination (Ifa), exploring the deep connection between spiritual guidance and destiny. The story follows Bisade (Muyiwa Ademola), a man whose “strong inner head” becomes his struggle as he battles a deadly cult led by his mother-in-law, Yeye Fernandez (Sola Sobowale), who seeks to end his life for financial gain.
As of June 2025, according to Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), the movie had crossed over ₦406 million at the box office, becoming the only Nigerian film released in 2025 so far, to achieve this milestone.
Ori: Rebirth is currently showing in cinemas.
7. The Wedding Party (2016)
Gross: ₦452 million
Running time: 1h 50
Director: Kemi Adetiba
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Studio: Ebonylife Films, FilmOne, Inkblot Production and Koga Studios
In The Wedding Party, love is in the air—and so is chaos. As Dozie (Banky W) and Dunni (Adesua Etomi-Wellington) prepare to tie the knot, their big day is anything but smooth. From the hilarious rivalry between their mothers (Ireti Doyle and Sola Sobowale) to the unexpected arrival of an ex, this glamorous wedding quickly unravels into a wild mix of drama, comedy, and spectacle.
Released in December 2016, The Wedding Party quickly became one of Nollywood’s highest-grossing films, earning ₦203 million in just its first two weeks. Its momentum carried into 2017, eventually grossing a record-breaking ₦452 million.
Watch The Wedding Party on MUBi.
ALSO READ: The 15 Most Hardworking Nigerian Celebrity Fanbases, Ranked
6. The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai (2017)
Gross: ₦500 million
Running time: 1h 38m
Director: Niyi Akinmolayan
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Studio: Ebonylife Films, FilmOne, Inkblot Production and Koga Studios
The love story continues with Nonso (Enyinna Nwigwe), Dozie’s younger brother from the first The Wedding Party movie. Nonso’s unexpectedly smitten with Deardre (Daniella Down), one of the bridesmaids. What begins as a casual dinner date takes an unexpected turn when Nonso proposes. But their love story quickly gets complicated as both families strongly disapprove of the sudden union, setting the stage for another unforgettable wedding drama.
In its opening in 2017, it earned ₦73 million. Then later, ₦380 million in Nigeria alone. By the end of its six-week release in the cinemas, this movie raked in ₦500 million—this is in addition to its earnings from international screenings in countries like the UK and the Netherlands.
Watch The Wedding Party 2: Destination Dubai on Netflix.
5. Alakada: Bad and Boujee (2024)
Gross: ₦500 million
Running time: 2h
Director: Adebayo Tijani
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Toyin Abraham Production
Alakada Bad and Boujee is the latest instalment in Toyin Abraham’s Alakada franchise. This comedic film follows Yetunde (Toyin Abraham) as she creates a fake, glamorous online persona, despite her modest background. With relatable humour, this movie satirises social media culture, class struggles, and societal pressures in Nigeria.
This movie grossed ₦500 million, making it Abraham’s biggest box office hit. In January 2025, FilmOne Entertainment, the distribution company behind the movie, announced that the movie “smashes records with ₦500M at the box office, cementing its place as the 5th highest-grossing Nollywood movie of all time!”
Alakada: Bad and Boujee is currently not showing anywhere.
4. Omo Ghetto: The Saga (2020)
Gross: ₦636 million
Running time: 1h 50m
Directors: Funke Akindele and JJC Skillz
Genre: Comedy, Action
Studio: SceneOne Productions
A sequel to the 2010 cult hit, Omo Ghetto: The Saga follows twin sisters—both played by Funke Akindele—who live drastically different lives. One is refined, educated, and elegant, while the other is a tough, streetwise gang leader ruling the chaotic world of the Askamaya Bees.
Unaware of each other’s existence, the sisters’ paths eventually collide, leading to a wild ride of chaos, comedy, and conflict. As they navigate their differences, they must confront their pasts and find a way back to each other, not just as sisters, but as women seeking redemption and purpose.
Released in 2020, the film shattered box office records with over ₦636 million in revenue, dethroning The Wedding Party (₦453 million) as the highest-grossing Nollywood film at the time. It also made history as the first Nollywood movie to premiere at Novos Cinemas in Dubai.
Watch Omo Ghetto: The Saga on Netflix.
3. Battle On Buka Street (2022)
Gross: ₦668 million
Running time: 2h 22?
Directors: Funke Akindele and Tobi Makinde
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN)
Set in the lively Otanwa community, Battle on Buka Street follows Yejide (Funke Akindele), who runs the neighbourhood’s most beloved buka with her mother, Asake (Sola Sobowale), and her children. Trouble brews when her feisty stepsister Awele (Mercy Johnson) opens a rival food joint right next door, sparking an all-out buka war filled with sabotage, family tension, and wildly petty culinary showdowns.
Upon its release, the film grossed ₦44 million in its opening week. After an impressive eleven-week run in cinemas, it raked in a total of ₦668 million, making it the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2022 and one of the most successful in history.
Watch Battle On Buka Street on Prime Video.
2. A Tribe Called Judah (2023)
Gross: ₦1.4 billion
Running time: 2h 14m
Directors: Funke Akindele and Adeoluwa Owu
Genre: Drama
Studio: Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN)
Comedy, suspense, and emotion collide in A Tribe Called Judah, a gripping story centred on Jedidah (Funke Akindele), a gravely ill single mother battling kidney disease, and her five sons—played by Timini Egbuson, Olumide Oworu, Jide Kene-Achufusi, Tobi Makinde, and Uzee Usman. Each son comes with his own baggage—one’s a pickpocket, another a notorious community tout—but together, they scramble to save their mother’s life.
Released during the 2023 Christmas season, the film earned ₦122 million in less than two weeks and went on to gross an astonishing ₦1.4 billion, making it Nollywood’s highest-grossing film at the time. More than just a commercial success, A Tribe Called Judah has been praised by critics as “Funke Akindele’s first box office hit crafted with true excellence.”
Watch A Tribe Called Judah on Prime Video.
1. Everybody Loves Jenifa (2024)
Gross: ₦1.88 billion
Running time: 2h 15m
Directors: Funke Akindele and Tunde Olaoye
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Funke Ayotunde Akindele Network (FAAN)
The Jenifa franchise, which began in 2008, has become one of Nollywood’s most iconic comedy series, and in 2024, Funke Akindele returned with its biggest sequel yet. In Everybody Loves Jenifa, the beloved, chaotic character finds herself facing a new rival: Lobster (Stan Nze), a charming new neighbour whose rising popularity and charity work quickly steal Jenifa’s spotlight. But when she uncovers a shocking secret about him, she launches into full investigation mode—determined to expose the truth to her neighbours and the police.
On opening day alone, the film earned ₦45 million. By the end of its first weekend, it had grossed ₦206 million, marking the biggest opening for a Nollywood film ever. Just 12 days in, it crossed ₦511 million, and by the end of its theatrical run, it had raked in an unprecedented ₦1.88 billion, making Everybody Loves Jenifa the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time.
Everybody Loves Jenifa is currently not streaming anywhere.
