The year 2025 was a record year for Nollywood films, with ticket sales up 58%. From emotionally compelling dramas to hilarious comedies and culturally rooted epics, the Nollywood industry delivered a large slate that kept audiences coming back.
Here are the 10 films that dominated the box office in 2025.
- Behind the Scenes (₦2.4 Billion)
2025’s biggest box office success was “Behind the Scenes,” produced by Funke Akindele and co-directed by Akindele and Tunde Olaoye. The film tells the story of Aderonke Faniran, a wealthy and generous woman whose habit of constantly helping friends, family, and acquaintances begins to take a toll on her personal life and emotional well-being. It became the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time, powered by Akindele’s unmatched audience appeal, a deeply relatable story, and a blockbuster ensemble cast.
- Oversabi Aunty (₦1 Billion)
Every family has that one aunt who knows everyone’s business, has an opinion about everything, and shows up where she wasn’t invited, but somehow, you still love her. Toyin Abraham brought that character to life in her directorial debut, and Nigerians absolutely loved every minute of it. Playing Toun, a church usher who can’t seem to mind her own business while her own home crumbles around her, Toyin delivered a performance that had cinemas in stitches. Starring alongside Mike Ezuruonye as her Igbo husband, the film crossed the ₦1 billion mark, making Toyin Abraham only the second filmmaker, after Funke Akindele, to achieve that milestone. A cultural moment, a box office giant, and a career-defining achievement all in one.
- Gingerrr (₦522.9 Million)
Four women. One dangerous mission. Zero time for nonsense. Gingerrr was exactly the kind of film Nollywood needed: bold, action-packed, and unapologetically female-led. Featuring a powerhouse cast including Bisola Aiyeola, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, Bolaji Ogunmola, Timini Egbuson, Lateef Adedimeji, Odunlade Adekola, and the hilarious Mr Macaroni, the film had audiences gripping their armrests and erupting in laughter in the same breath. Released just before October 1st, it became the highest-grossing Nollywood September release of all time. The timing was perfect, and so was the film.
- Reel Love (₦356.82 Million)
Valentine’s Day plus Timini Egbuson plus a romantic comedy? Nigerians didn’t stand a chance. Reel Love, directed by Kayode Kasum, follows Tomide, an online “relationship expert” who finds himself in a fake relationship that slowly becomes very, very real. It’s charming, it’s funny, and it’s the kind of film you watch with your partner and then spend the entire drive home debating who the story reminded you of. Opening to ₦123 million on Valentine’s weekend alone, it went on to earn ₦356 million, proof once again that love sells, especially when it’s this well-packaged.
- Ori: The Rebirth (₦419.57 Million)
Some films entertain you. Others stay with you long after the credits roll. Ori: The Rebirth was the latter. Written by Muyiwa Ademola and co-directed by Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani, the film dives deep into spirituality and identity, following a woman haunted by dark dreams and a past she can’t fully piece together. What made this film special wasn’t just the story; it was the word of mouth. It opened at ₦115 million and kept climbing, reaching ₦419 million. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident; it happens when people watch a film and immediately call their friends to say, “You need to see this.”
- Iyalode (₦306.36 Million)
Nigeria loves a strong woman, and Iyalode gave us exactly that. Co-produced by Toyin Abraham-Ajeyemi and Kola Ajeyemi, the film tells the story of Ashabi Adikaka, a warrior born from a long line of powerful women leaders. It’s epic, it’s cultural, and it’s the kind of story that reminds you why Nollywood matters. Released during the Eid El Kabir and Democracy Day holidays, it opened to a massive weekend of ₦138 million and grew to over ₦306 million. Audiences weren’t just watching a film; they were celebrating a legacy.
- Labake Olododo (₦264.2 Million)
Iyabo Ojo came to remind everyone that Yoruba cinema is not to be underestimated. In Labake Olododo, she plays a fierce, fearless heroine standing up against injustice in her community while holding her own life together against impossible odds. The film is everything: drama, culture, emotion, and action, all wrapped in one. It opened to over ₦114 million and climbed to ₦264 million, cementing Iyabo Ojo’s status as one of the most bankable stars in Nollywood today. People weren’t just watching this film; they were rooting for Labake as if she were a real person.
- Abanisete: The Ancestor (₦152 Million)
Not every hit has to be a comedy or a love story. Abanisete: The Ancestor proved that Nigerians have an appetite for deep, mythology-driven storytelling when it’s done right. The film explores the legacy of a revered patriarch whose choices echo through generations of his descendants, blending rich cultural tradition with gripping human drama. It’s the kind of film that makes you think about your own family, your own roots, and what you’re leaving behind. With over ₦152 million at the box office, it showed that audiences are ready for more stories like this.
- My Mother Is a Witch (₦100 Million)
Few things are more complicated than the relationship between a mother and her child, and Niyi Akinmolayan captured that complexity beautifully in My Mother Is a Witch. Efe Irele plays a fashion editor who returns to Benin from London, only to find herself face-to-face with the childhood wounds she never fully healed. With Mercy Aigbe delivering a layered, nuanced performance and strong support from Timini Egbuson and Neo Akpofure, the film hit ₦100 million and earned every naira through sheer emotional power. This one wasn’t just a movie; it was a therapy session.
- Something About the Briggs (₦91 Million)
Money doesn’t buy happiness, and the Briggs family is living proof. Something About the Briggs peels back the glossy exterior of a wealthy Nigerian family to reveal the secrets, broken relationships, and quiet pain hiding underneath. Led by an extraordinary cast including Rita Dominic, Stan Nze, Daniel Etim Effiong, and Iyabo Ojo, the film is sharp, intimate, and deeply human. It didn’t open with a bang, just ₦22.5 million in its first weekend, but it grew steadily to over ₦91 million, carried by great performances and the kind of storytelling that reminds you why you fell in love with Nollywood in the first place.
