Nigerian films continue to outperform Hollywood releases at the domestic box office over the weekend of January 16–18, according to data compiled by the Nigerian Box Office.
Funke Akindele’s film Behind The Scenes led the chart for a sixth consecutive weekend, earning ₦113.1 million during the period. The film’s cumulative gross now stands at ₦2.29 billion, making it the highest-grossing Nigerian and West African film on record. Released on December 12, 2025, the film reached the ₦1 billion mark in under two weeks and later became the first Nollywood production to cross ₦2 billion.
Directed by Akindele and Tunde Olaoye, Behind The Scenes explores the social theme of extended family financial expectations, often referred to as “black tax.” The film has recorded 385,689 admissions in Nigeria. Internationally, it has earned $301,505 in North America and £134,879 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it currently ranks as the highest-grossing Nollywood title.
In second place was Toyin Abraham’s Oversabi Aunty, which generated ₦53.3 million over the same weekend. The film’s total box office revenue has reached ₦951.1 million after five weeks in cinemas, with 164,563 admissions. Industry analysts note that the film is likely to cross the ₦1 billion threshold in the coming weeks, which would make Abraham the second Nollywood producer, after Akindele, to achieve this.
Hollywood releases continued to trail behind local productions. James Cameron’s Avatar 3: Fire and Ash placed third with ₦24.9 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its cumulative Nigerian earnings to ₦590.7 million. Other foreign titles, including 28 Years Later and Greenland 2: Migration, recorded comparatively modest figures.
Overall, Nigerian films occupied six of the top ten positions on the chart, with total weekend box office revenue estimated at ₦229.8 million.
Separately, actress and filmmaker Bolaji Ogunmola recorded was ranked third on the Nigeria Box Office list of the Top 10 Nollywood Producers for 2025.
Reacting to the recognition in a statement shared on social media, Ogunmola described the ranking as “a reward for years of hard work, persistence and faith,” adding that the journey involved “difficult decisions, long nights and moments of uncertainty.”
The latest box office results point to sustained growth for Nollywood in 2026, with locally produced films surpassing international releases in the country.
