The Nollywood industry has several big names who, year in and year out, put out films that keep us entertained and glued to our screens. From romance to thrillers, epic films, and even comedy, these Nollywood directors have made some of the biggest films out of Nigeria, and you should be anticipating their next films.
In this article, we list 7 Nollywood directors whose next film you should be anticipating.
- Kayode Kasum
Kayode Kasum is a Nigerian film director who has produced some of Nigeria’s most prolific films. He currently has director credits for 12 of the 100 films on Nigeria’s highest-grossing films list. Some of his most notable films are “Afamefuna,” “Kambili: The Whole 30 Yards,” “Sugar Rush,” “Fate of Alakada,” and an upcoming 2026 release of “Ajosepo 2.”
- Kemi Adetiba
Kemi Adetiba is a Nigerian director who always delivers in her films. Despite a short filmography, all of Kemi’s directorial works have been successful, either at the Nigerian box office or as viral hits on Netflix. Some of her fan-favorite works are “King of Boys,” “The Wedding Party,” and the most recent, “To Kill A Monkey,” a series that won the supporting actor award at the AMVCA. Earlier this month, Kemi announced the title of her upcoming film titled “The Stool,” and though there have been no further details, the announcement of the title is a welcome reminder of her ability as a director.
- Niyi Akinmolayan
Niyi Akinmolayan is known for directing blockbusters like “Colours of Fire,” “The Wedding Party 2”, “Chief Daddy”, “The Set Up”, “Prophetess”, “My Village People”, and “Lisabi: The Uprising”. Niyi’s 2025 vision extends beyond filmmaking. Anthill Studios is partnering with a tech company to launch a platform that connects filmmakers with vetted, skilled crew members and a curated directory of top industry professionals, designed to raise Nollywood’s professional standards.
- Tope Adebayo Salami
Tope Adebayo Salami is a renowned Nollywood director and filmmaker with several big-name films to his directorial credit. He is credited with directing some of the most successful and well-watched Epic Nollywood films, some of which are “Seven Doors,” “Ori (Rebirth),” King of Thieves (Agesinkole),” and, most recently, “Efunroye: The Unicorn.”
- Jade Osiberu
Jade Osiberu is a Nollywood director known for directing the first Nigerian original film set to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. In 2017, Jade Osiberu made a name for herself as one of Nigeria’s well-known and successful directors with the release of “Isoken,” which won her the Best Director award at the 2018 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards and earned her a Best Director nomination at the Africa Movie Academy Awards. Some of her other notable films are “Sugar Rush,” “Gangs of Lagos,” and “Brotherhood.”
- Funke Akindele
Funke Akindele’s status as a multifaceted creative genius is something that reflects in her directorial skills. Within just a few years of adding the title of director to her name, she directed some of the most successful films at the Nigerian box office. Some of the films she has directed are “Finding Me,” “Everybody Loves Jenifa,” “A Tribe Called Judah,” and, most recently, the highest-grossing Nollywood film in history, “Behind The Scenes.”
- Kunle Afolayan
Kunle Afolayan is a big name in the directing industry and is credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood films. Popularly known for his “Anikulapo” franchise, Kunle Afolayan has other big projects with unique storylines to his name. Some of his other projects are “Citation,” “October 1st,” “Phone Swap,” and “The Figurine.”
