Nigerian Movies

Halfway through the year and we can’t deny that Nollywood has taken us through a rollercoaster of emotions with some of their offerings. In case you’re late to the party, these are some of the best Nollywood movies of 2023 that need to be on your binge list.

Best Nollywood Action Movies in 2023

Gangs of Lagos

If you’re looking for an original Nigerian crime and thriller flick, this is the one for you. It belongs in a collection with the likes of Saworoide, King of Boys and others with underlying social commentary. You’re in for a story about family, loyalty and leadership, packed with action. We hope the sight of blood and gang activities won’t scare you away sha?

The Trade

Inspired by true events, this is a tale of greed and terror set in Lagos. As the story unfolds, we witness the high-stakes game of cat and mouse between a determined law enforcement officer and a cunning kidnapper terrorising the streets. Word on the street is The Trade is inspired by real-life events in 2017. Expect intense suspense, believable Naija violence and a gripping story, as Blossom Chukwujekwu earns himself a top contender spot for best actor of 2023.

Shanty Town

If you loved Jade Osiberu’s Gangs of Lagos or Ebonylife’s Oloture, this six-part series will get you hooked from start to finish. Chidi Mokeme makes an epic Nollywood comeback alongside veterans like Sola Sobowale, Nse Ikpe Etim, and played Scar; a scary underworld lord. Shanty Town explores the lives of sex workers who try to escape the grip of a notorious kingpin who answers to powerful politicians.

Orisa

If you fell in love with Femi Adebayo’s King of Thieves (2022), this is another Yoruba epic that will have you at the edge of your seats. Orìṣà tells the story of a rogue king who loses respect for the gods and his people, and is struck with insanity. This happens at a time when a gang of highly skilled warriors form an alliance, threatening to take over his kingdom. Odunlade Adekola takes on the titular character and stars alongside Femi Adebayo, Shaffy Bello, Jide Kosoko, Dele Odule, among others.

Jagun Jagun

After a successful run with King of Thieves (2022), Femi Adebayo has enlisted the same directors, Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo Salami, for his 2023 offering, Jagun Jagun. The Yoruba epic action tells the story of a young man who joins an elite army in his bid to become a powerful warrior and win the heart of a woman. On his quest, he attracts the wrath of a bloodthirsty warlord who feels threatened by him. Adedimeji Lateef, Bimbo Ademoye, Fathia Balogun and Mr Macaroni feature in this new epic film.

Best Nollywood RomCom Movies in 2023

Love in a Pandemic

In 2020, COVID-19 kept us in our homes, but it didn’t stop some people from finding true love. Bolanle (Nancy Isime), in an attempt to apologise to her boyfriend, dialled a wrong number belonging to Alex (Deyemi Okanlawon). The call to a stranger becomes a routine, and feelings get involved, but the pandemic is in their way. If you need something to convince you that your boyfriend shouldn’t stop you from meeting your true love, Love In A Pandemic is the answer.

Big Love

Our resident Nollywood bad boy, Timini Egbuson, stars alongside Bimbo Ademoye in this Biodun Stephen-directed romcom. Adil (Timini) falls in love with Adina (Bimbo), an independent woman struggling to make ends meet at a graduate training camp, but a secret threatens to ruin their love. Shaffy Bello, Jaiye Kuti and Seyi Awolowo star in this film too.

A Sunday Affair

Dubbed the Valentine Day’s movie of 2023, A Sunday Affair stars two of Nollywood’s most iconic actresses, Nse Ikpe-Etim and Dakore Akande. The powerhouses cast as best friends, Uche and Toyin, fall in love with the same man, and it’s a downward spiral from there that makes for gripping TV. From the cheesy romance to the dramatic chaos, it has all the ingredients to make you blush.

Sista

This movie made me shed a few gangsta tears when I watched it. A single mum zealously fights for her two kids when their deadbeat dad tries to win them over after being absent for years. He does this using his wealth and influence to entice them instead of seeking penance and establishing a connection. Their furious mother swings into action to detach them from a man who never loved them in the first place.

The acting performances of Kehinde Bankole, Deyemi Okanlawon and Bisola Aiyeola. were striking, and many say it’s the best Nigerian film they’ve seen in a while.

Best Nollywood Thriller Movies in 2023

House of Secrets

If you’ve ever been in doubt about the cinematic revolution that’s unfolding in Nollywood right now, this film is all you need to have a change of perspective. Director Niyi Akinmolayan raised the bar in cinematography and production design such that every scene leaves you more intrigued than the last. The story follows Sarah (Najite Dede), who regains her lost memories of a traumatic incident after extreme measures by people seeking to expose a corrupt politician.

Hotel Labamba

Ace director, Biodun Stephen, led a stellar cast for this comedy-thriller that had me sold right from the trailer. Hotel Labamba is Nollywood’s attempt at a murder mystery, and if you’re looking to put on your investigative hat, you should totally binge this. In it, an Instagram influencer is murdered, and every guest at the hotel becomes a suspect, with the pressure on detectives to solve the case before the killer strikes again. Lateef Adedimeji, Bimbo Ademoye and Femi Adebayo among others are featured.

Dark October

Executive-produced by media entrepreneur Linda Ikeji, Dark October opened old wounds through its near real-life portrayal of the 2012 Aluu Four Lynching. This movie will have you asking why we need to relive this painful memory and nodding in agreement to the wake-up call for jungle justice to be nipped in the bud. There are no Nollywood regulars in this one, but it’ll still have you sat. But brace yourself to cry hard during and after watching.

Nkemakonam

Nkemakonam has an incredible storyline with captivating themes of motherhood, premarital pregnancy and castigation. A young girl is cast aside by her community after getting pregnant, leading her to deliver her baby herself. This is one of the best Nollywood productions of 2023 so far; the acting, pacing and cinematography are nothing short of amazing.

Best Nollywood horror movies of 2023

Omozi

In a bid to japa and give herself and her daughter a better life, Omozi falls into the trap of human traffickers who ship her to Malaysia and her little daughter, Joyful, to Libya. Although quite intriguing and sad, Omozi is an important watch.

Akudaaya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jBnnlKRgI4

If you’re up for some ghost stories, especially one where the deceased reincarnates and tries to live a normal life away from his loved ones, this one is for you. Olumide Oworu leads a stellar cast that also features veterans like Sola Sobowale, Yomi Fash-Lanso and Hafiz Oyetoro, among others.

Ile Owo

Originally released in 2022, this horror-thriller arrived on streaming platform, Netflix, in May 2023, and it’s one for the books. Directed by Dare Olaitan, the movie transports viewers into the life of Akanni Owo (Jide Oyegbile), a wealthy man who would stop at nothing to attain immortality. Bisola Aiyeola, Tina Mba and Akin Lewis were featured in the film.

Best Christian Nollywood movies of 2023

Recitation

Recitation follows Blessing, a young girl who has to dodge a lot of “God, abeg” situations in her quest to live a godly life. Faced with temptation from her peers and society, Blessing resolves to stay steadfast in her faith, relying on the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Enoch

This film is inspired by the life of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). It reveals the circumstances of his birth and childhood, how he became a genius mathematician, found Christ through his future wife and how God called him to ministry. Enoch was released to mark Pastor Adeboye’s 81^st birthday.

Abejoye

The series finale was released in January, but this is one Christian series you should binge-watch if you’re a huge fan of Mount Zion productions. Written by Mike Bamiloye, the series explores the story of an African traditionalist dad who visits his son abroad and soon realises that he and his wife are struggling Christians with their own secrets.
According to the Department of Film Censorship and Classification, Nollywood has produced only 280 movies in the first quarter of 2023. Quite a drastic reduction for a film industry that releases movies like NEPA withholds light. We weren’t the world’s second largest film producer for nothing.

There’s more focus on improving quality and reducing output now — we’ve been blown away, thrilled and dipped in all sorts of emotions due to the highly impressive movies Nollywood has produced in 2023 — full-length and short films, these are the best ones so far.

Gangs of Lagos

If you’re looking for an original Nigerian crime and thriller flick, this is the one for you. It’s in the same collection with the likes of Saworoide, King of Boys and others with underlining of social commentary. You’re in for a story about family, loyalty, leadership and filled with packed action. Hope the sight of blood and gang activities won’t scare you away sha?

The Trade

Inspired by true events; a tale of greed and terror. As the story unfolds, we witness the high-stakes game of cat and mouse, set in Lagos, between a determined law enforcement officer and a cunning kidnapper terrorizing the Southern parts of Nigeria. Word on the street is The Trade is a movie adaptation of a popular Nigerian kidnapper who was arrested in 2017.

There are no lacklustre fight scenes, just intense suspense, believable Naija violence and a gripping story. The film earns Blossom Chukwujekwu a top contender spot for best actor of 2023.

Sista

https://youtu.be/LhDCxb3z4k0

This movie made me shed a few gangsta tears when I watched it. A single mom zealously fights for her two kids when their deadbeat dad tries to win them over after being absent in their lives. Using his wealth and influence to entice the children instead of seeking penance and establishing connection with them, their furious mother swings into action to detach them from a man who never loved them in the first place.

The acting performances by our faves like Kehinde Bankole, Deyemi Okanlawon, Bisola Aiyeola, etc. were striking. Many people say it’s the best Nigerian film they’ve seen in a while.

Love In A Pandemic

In 2020, COVID-19 shut down everywhere and kept us in our homes. Even though the lockdown curbed our movements, it didn’t stop some people from finding true love. Bolanle (Nancy Isime), in an attempt to apologise to her boyfriend about a fight , dialled a wrong number belonging to Alex (Deyemi Okanlawon). The call to a stranger becomes a routine and feelings get involved but the pandemic is in their way. If you need something to convince you that your boyfriend shouldn’t stop you from meeting your true love, Love In A Pandemic is the answer.

READ: Nollywood Next Gen: Meet the Actors Set to Take Over 2023

Boy Meets Girl

This experimental short film closely follows Musa, a 15 year old lad who had a terrifying, life-changing experience with a young girl on a bus. Boy Meets Girl is filled with undertones of the abducted Chibok Girls, underperforming government and failed security system. Shooting the movie in Gamboru, Borno State, feels intentional and noteworthy, hitting too close to home. You can’t miss out on this one.

Nkemakonam

Nkemakonam has an incredible storyline and captivating themes of motherhood, premarital pregnancy and castigation, creating more conversations around this common issue that has minimal social awareness. A young girl is cast aside by her community after getting pregnant, leading her to deliver her baby herself. This is one of the best Nollywood productions so far this year, the acting, pacing and cinematography are nothing short of amazing.

Omozi

In a bid to japa from Nigeria to Belgium and give herself and her daughter a better life, Omozi falls into the trap of human traffickers. The people she was supposed to link with and travel together turned out to be the traffickers, shipping her to Malaysia and Joyful, her little daughter to Libya. Although quite intriguing and sad, Omozi is an important watch.

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We all love watching Nollywood movies, but they need to retire from using some of their plots. Here are some plots that we think they should break up with.

The one where a guy bumps into a lady and she drops her bag

Then they both try to pick it up but instead of picking it up, they look into each other’s eyes for like 30 seconds, and of course, it’s love at first sight. Please, nobody has time for that in real life. Imagine this happened to you in Yaba market, will you have time to start doing “love at first sight”?

The one where the mother-in-law hates her son’s wife for no reason

This will always be ghetto behaviour. The annoying part is most of the time, she’s also a witch. Nollywood, we are on our knees. Please, let go of this plot. I’m sure everyone remembers who used to play this role.

RELATED: 30 Things To Expect If Your Bae’s Mother Is Yoruba

The one where the person is barely in front of the car but the car hits them

If you don’t find this plot annoying, I don’t know what to say to you. What is that annoying sound effect they always add?

The one where the maid is having an affair with her madam’s husband

Half of the movies on Africa Magic are about how the madam was too busy with work, so her husband started having an affair with their maid who takes care of him.

The one where the prince falls in love with the poor village girl

This plot is giving Cinderella. We all know how it will end: the prince breaks up with his rich girlfriend, his family members like and marry the poor village girl, and they’ll live happily ever after.

The one where the step-mother is extremely wicked

Just like the one with the wicked in-law, this plot is old and stale.

The one where the gateman and the house girl are messing around

It’s a funny plot but it has become basic, and I think I speak for everybody when I say, WE ARE TIRED.

RELATED: 8 Gateman Stereotypes Nollywood Needs To Change

The one where the mothers and aunties keep disturbing their daughters and nieces to get married

We know it’s like that in real life, but Nollywood, we’re tired of watching it. Give us something different, like a plot where Nigerians start showing their politicians pepper.
Nollywood has come a long way, and this simple quiz will show if you’ve been paying attention to the journey.
Have you ever watched a romantic film with the relationship of your dreams and it suddenly clicked that you deserve more, or that your expectations aren’t too high? I picked seven Nigerian movies that will make you raise your standards for love.

Isoken

Isoken remained single at 34 in a Nigerian household, and when she finally falls in love, it is with a white man. Anyone willing to overcome their family and parents’ conventional beliefs to be with you is definitely a green flag.

RELATED: Love Life: Our Parents Are Worried We’ll Divorce

Namaste Wahala

Do you realise how brave you must be to recognise that your Igbo and Indian parents act irrationally when it comes to marriage, and then try to go against them? You may have a death wish, but there is nothing more romantic than defying your parents’ desires for the sake of love.

The Royal Hibiscus Hotel

If a man doesn’t come to buy my family’s legacy hotel, fall in love with me in a week, plan the most elaborate date and then buy said hotel just to give it back, I don’t want. Watching this movie will remind you that Nigerian men can be romantic, and maybe it’s time to dump that guy in your dms who texts you once in three days.

Flower Girl

Nothing is cuter than a woman trying to reinvent herself for a dumb man with the help of a friend and then falling in love with herself. But that isn’t why we’re here. Do you realise how hopelessly in love you must be to have a daughter like the protagonist Dami? Her parents stole the show with how adorable their relationship was. They were both nosy about their daughter’s love life. They bullied each other like friends and made me feel like you could hack this love thing if you just marry your best friend.

The Wedding Party

Never mind Dunni and Dozie’s snooze fest of a love story; instead, focus on Dunni’s parents’ connection instead of. A Nigerian woman who didn’t kill her husband for making them impoverished again, a man who supports all of his wife’s rights and wrongs, and parents who were willing to call off the wedding at any time for their child? Come on. I don’t care for the part where they started from the bottom and are now at the top, but look at Dunni’s and Dozie’s parents and tell me why these guys shouldn’t be the standard.

Blood Sisters

I know that this movie isn’t about romance but hear me out: Yinka and Femi. That’s it. Were they extraordinarily foolish and good at making bad decisions? Yes, but at least they made it together as a couple. And how often do we see couples in films who are that devoted to one another? If they don’t raise your standards, they’ll at least increase your expectations for how much sex a married couple should have.

Telling my kid’s that this is Romeo and Juliet.

Knocking on Heaven’s Door

How many men would be willing to fight spiritual and physical battles to get you? Not a lot tbh and I don’t blame them. It was one thing for Majid Michel’s character to fight his addiction and get clean so that Adesuwa might give him a chance, but when he was ready to fight the church for her sake? Yessss! Have you ever had to fight people in a Nigerian church? is that not true love?

RELATED: 11 Quizzes That Will Help You Figure Out Your Love Life
Though a lot of it was unintentional and can’t be recreated (I’m looking at you, Charles of Play), Old Nollywood is pretty iconic. I’ve recently been taking deep dives into the pool of movie nostalgia to gag at the insane fashion and bad CGI from that era. Do you know what else I’ve come across? Disturbing storylines that have left me shook and scarred.

Brace yourself!

1. Men in Love

Nollywood reflects who we are as a society, so it comes as no surprise that many of their old attempts at tackling LGBTQ+ issues reek of homophobia. 2010’s Men in Love is no exception. The movie follows Whitney (Tonto Dikeh) and Charles (John Dumelo), a couple whose disaster of a marriage (he cheats on her with anything in a skirt) is threatened by the arrival of Alex (Muna Obiekwe), a juju-wielding gay man. It’s bad enough that this film portrays its gay characters as rapey predators laden with every negative gay stereotype you can think of. But the movie’s worst sin is making homosexuality out to be the result of a spiritual affliction, which is why many Nigerians suffer inhumane punishments in the name of conversion therapy (aka going for deliverance) till this day.

Everyone who worked on this project needs to bow their heads in shame.

2. Beyoncé and Rihanna

There’s gist that Beyoncé has seen Beyoncé and Rihanna, and now I want to hear her take on it. But before I ring up my girl Bey on WhatsApp (because a regular call to Houston, Texas would be too expensive), can we talk about how they made a film inspired by two of the biggest pop stars on the planet and centred their storyline around wanting a man? Ewww. There’s so much they could’ve explored, but the film’s producers thought, “Why not make a FOUR PART movie franchise where Nadia Buari and Omotola Jalade Ekeinde bitch slap each other because of Jim Iyke? ”

If it was about Dr Dre and Jay Z, the plot would be completely different from this.

3. To Rise Again

To Rise Again is proof that, even in death, Nigerian men will not let you rest. Joseph (Richard Mofe Damijo) is an armed robber who loses his life after a robbery attack. Instead of staying dead like his friends, he rebrands as a bible-believing ghost taxi driver who gets Lydia (Stella Damasus) to fall in love and have a child with him. Spoiler: it ended up being a dream or something. But, we were rooting for their love story. It just feels manipulative and gross. It might not be problematic in the grand scheme of things, but no one should bang a ghost. Not even if he looks like Richard Mofe Damijo.

RECOMMENDED: Ranked: Nobody Beats These 10 Nollywood Actresses at Crying in Movies

4. White Hunters

Tabitha (Ini Edo), Peggy (Funke Akindele), and Pamela (Mercy Johnson) are three young women who decide to chase and date white men after growing tired of broke-ass Nigerian men and their bullshit. Not to defend Nigerian men, but what the hell is this plot? Their thirst for coloniser penis and money isn’t even my issue with White Hunters; it’s the offensive stereotype it enforces by squeezing in jokes about the only Indian character smelling like garlic 24/7.

5. Emotional Crack

While Emotional Crack has given us a ton of iconic memes, the problematic nature of the movie’s plot is undeniable. Chudi (Ramsey Noah) is married to Crystal (Stephanie Okereke), who he beats and cheats on like it’s nobody’s business. Things take an exciting lesbian (or bisexual— honestly, fuck labels) turn when Chudi’s side thing Camila (Dakore Akande on a rasta P) decides to ruin the already messed up marriage by seducing Crystal.

Once again, the queer character here is depicted as a crazy disposable stalker, while the wife-beater is given a redemption arc that makes him out to be a victim. His abusive nature is never even addressed. Old nollywood was really deep in their homophobic/misogynistic bag when they made this one.

6. Thunderbolt (Magun)

Yinka Ajiboye (Lanre Balogun) marries Ngozi (Uche Osotule) during their NYSC years. But when his friends start spreading rumours that his wife is the whore of Babylon, Yinka consults with a Babalawo and places a Magun curse on her, endangering her life. The wild thing here is that at no point in the movie does he properly confront her. He just goes straight to the Babalawo like he’s ordering food from Instagram. Thunderbolt (Magun) is a prime example of toxic masculinity, and pushes the idea that a wife is her husband’s property. Even if she cheated, why is placing a curse on her the next logical step? The ghetto.

ALSO READ: Reimagining Nigerian Musicians as Characters in a Nollywood Horror Movie
Nigerian movies have evolved greatly over the years, and we applaud Nollywood for that. However, you look at some scenes from Nollywood movies over the years and you just wonder what exactly was going through the minds of the writers responsible for them. Scenes like:

1. The scene in Stolen Bible where Jesus jumps off the cross to chase Kate Henshaw’s character around for being a kleptomaniac.

In what has to be the funniest nightmare sequence of all time. Kate Henshaw’s character in this movie is catholic and goes to pray in front of a statue of Jesus on the cross. She is so much of a sinner, that Jesus is disgusted, jumps off the cross and chases her away.

Are you sure? 💀 https://t.co/Hatav4RjEY https://t.co/7wkFSRpmH7
— Bisola (@Bisolaaa) July 7, 2021

2. That scene in Blood Sisters where Esther hangs from a tree

Why’s Esther hanging from a tree with her eyes open and her tongue out? How did she, a blind person, pull all of that off? The scene is so cringe and funny. I’m sure Genevieve has a good laugh whenever she remembers it.

READ: I Watched The Nollywood Movie “Blood Sister” So You Don’t Have To

3. MI’s sudden appearance in Namaste Wahala

Namaste Wahala has many questions to answer and one of them is MI’s sudden appearance. He literally appears out of thin air like a genie. Let’s not get into the violent product placement in that film.

4. Why was Nneka’s bumbum outside in Nneka The Pretty Serpent?

Nneka jumps into a river (or whatever that is) and her clothes somehow disappear so she has to kill a couple on the shore to take theirs. Do you know how crazy this sounds? Nneka the Pretty Serpent gets a solid one star for this. And that one star is because Idia Aisien, the lady who played Nneka, is fine AF.

5. The entire Chief Daddy 2

Apologies for flogging a dead horse, but we need to speak on this. We can’t point to one scene in this movie because the whole movie is nothing but a mad joke.

6. The remarkable Fufu scene in Mark Of The Beast

In this scene, the pastor is about to eat a plate of fufu so he prays over it but the fufu rejects the blessings and calls him an idiot because the fufu is possessed by the devil. LMFAO

7. Homosexual lunch turned public display of humiliation – Brought to you by Men In Love

John Dumelo and Muna Obiekwe are having homosexual lunch at a restaurant in matching shirts when Muna’s ex-boyfriend comes in and starts screaming, ’BOYFRIEND SNATCHER!” at John Dumelo.

8. That one scene in Mr and Mrs Jejeloye where they’re fighting themselves and their in-laws

Yoruba movies are funny and unhinged, and this scene proves it. The couple is fighting with themselves and sticking with each other to fight people who try to come between them. Pure comedy.

https://twitter.com/oluwatofunmii_/status/1385192649578237953?s=21

9. “I never knew you were a harlot” – Blood Sisters

This is one of my favourite scenes of all time. I even learnt the letter by heart. “Don’t try to look for me because if you do, I will disgrace you”. Big ups to the ~~comedian~~ person who scripted this scene.

10. A round of applause? Sorry, a round of slaps.

I searched far and wide for the title of this film and couldn’t find it so I’ve decided to title it A Round of Slaps starring Mike Ezuruonye and his girlfriends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LAYv3FFnyg

CONTINUE READING: Nollywood, You Won’t Die If You Stop Doing These Things
One thing about us, we love awards’ season. Oscar, Grammys, Emmys, yes, choke us with all of it. While Nigeria has movie awards, they’re still not giving what they’re supposed to be giving.. So we want to see these categories be added to Nigerian movie awards:

1. Most chaotic wig

In Nollywood, wigs are characters all on their own. Back in the day, we watched our faves show up in stiff-ass wigs that channelled everyone from Mufasa in Lion King to Storm in X-Men. With New Nollywood having a battle of the frontals and throwing 13-inch kinky Brazilian wigs on all their characters — even in movies set in the village — it’s only right that we have a category to recognize one of the most versatile and underrated performers in the industry, our wigs.

2. Best Ameritish Accent

Nollywood and accents you can’t trace or identify go hand-in-hand. Back then, Jim Iyke, Hanks Anuku and Regina Askia stressed us with their fake accents. But these days, almost every Nollywood actor has a VPN-acquired accent. Also, is it really a Nollywood film if the lead character didn’t just return from overseas to find love? We refuse to list out the contenders in this category, but they know themselves.

3. Best wedding/burial (or any celebration-type film that requires at least 20 popular actors)

Why did Nollywood discover ensemble comedies and decide that was “it”? Like, after The Wedding Party, it’s like they sent a WhatsApp broadcast and decided to compete to see how many stars they could fit into one film, no matter how chaotic the script or casting might look. A certain studio is known for packing actors in their films like Titus sardines and honestly, they deserve this award.

4. Best shot of the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge

Shoutout to the hardest working actor in Nollywood mehn. Since we can’t nominate individuals, we’ve decided to go with the film that best captured his beauty in glorious HD.

5. Best Instagram/BBNaija influencer-to-actor transition

Nollywood has become the final bus stop for IG influencers and Big Brother Naija alumni. We’re not complaining o, before you drag us. Instead, we’re creating a category to honour the transitions that sort of worked.

6. Best soundtrack

We‘ve missed the days when Nollywood summarised the entire plot of a film using Stanley Okorie’s voice. It saved you the stress of deciding whether or not you actually wanted to see the film. Now, we have songs like “Nneka, obu gini?” from Nneka the Pretty Serpent as major contenders for this award. Don’t lie, that song is catchy AF!

7. Best plot-that-didn’t-even-make-sense

How did a script like Chief Daddy 2pass through a scriptwriter, producers, a director and a container of actors, and no one thought to say, “Ewww, God forbid!” We watch some films and convince ourselves that the people behind them must’ve had their loved ones kidnapped, with the film being a form of ransom payment. Because honestly, why this? That being said, everyone deserves their flowers — even films that give us headaches.

8. Best ghost

Nollywood ghosts are a case for the FBI. When they’re not crossing the street like Omotola in Blood Sisters, they’re walking around drenched in blood carrying crying babies. It’s all very stressful and they deserve a whole category award for all that hard work.
Nollywood has given us a lot of iconic pairings over the years, but some actors do their job so well on screen, we find it hard to separate play play from real life. Have you ever looked at a Nollywood pairing and felt deep down that they were an actual couple? We’ve been there too. Here’s a list of some old Nollywood couples that were so good, we thought they were married or dating in real life.

Stella Damasus and Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD)

These two were always married or about to be married in all their films. Look at the material: In When God Says Yes, they were a couple looking for a kidney for RMD; In Engagement Night, she slept with his best friend but they still somehow found their way back to each other; and let’s not forget the wild ass To Rise Again where RMD was Stella Damasus’ ghost baby daddy. It’s not our fault we thought they were together.

Rita Dominic and Jim Iyke

Rumour has it that these two were a thing at one point, but are we really surprised? With her big ass afros and his VPN-acquired Ameritish accent, Jim Iyke and Rita Dominic were the OG Bonnie and Clyde of old Nollywood. One minute they’re sipping cold juice by the beach, and the next thing you know, they’re arguing, with Rita in her thigh-high boots and Jim in his bandanas. We stan a chaotic couple.

Genevieve Nnaji and Ramsey Noah

First off, can we get into Genevieve’s tiara in this picture? Yes, sis, Disney princesses are shaking. Ramsey Noah and Genevieve were the couple to beat back in the day. They’ve dated and married each other onscreen so many times we’ve lost count. Power of Love, Butterfly, Honey, The Break-Up, Pain and Gain, Super Love or the one where she was a village Cinderella and he was the crown prince. These two had so much chemistry together, we were rooting for them to become a thing.

Ini Edo and Muna Obiekwe

Before Muna Obiekwe made the controversial Men in Love, he was one of Nollywood’s most-in-demand lover boys. While he shared the screen and his fictional heart with everyone from Genevieve Nnaji to Oge Okoye, it was his films with Ini Edo that had us screaming “God, when abeg?”. Once you saw Ini Edo in a campus setting with spaghetti straps and excess lipgloss, you immediately knew that Muna Obiekwe would pop up at some point. He fought Jim Iyke for her heart in The Cat and went against Stephanie Okereke and her cult group in Beautiful Faces. Can your man fight?

Genevieve and Emeka Ike

Back then, if Genevieve was not acting opposite Ramsey Noah, best believe she was serving melanated couple goals alongside Emeka Ike. He was her knight in shining armour in For Better for Worse and Pain and Gain, showed her pepper in Not Man Enough and let’s not forget when he blinded and married her in Two Together. Through all of this, they made us root for them and honestly, we’re still shocked they weren’t a thing. Na wa o.

Van Vicker and Nadia Buari

This is not the time for jollof or Shatta Wale wars, we all know that once upon a time, Nollywood and Ghollywood were one wood. Following the success of Beyonncé the President’s Daughter, Nadia and Van became the biggest Ghanaian exports to Nigeria. They were so big, Nollywood had them shooting village movies in the East. Why did these two work so well together? Well, we all thought they were dating. Look at the image above and tell us you didn’t see it back then.

Stella Damasus and Desmond Elliot

They didn’t do much together, but these two were iconic AF. Just look at the poster for Missing Angel, the film where he was the angel of death sent to collect her soul, but somehow ended up getting trapped by her snail. Interesting times. There was also Behind Closed Doors and a couple of others. Long story short, we thought they were a thing at some point but apparently, we were clowns.