Nigerian actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi’s 2025 film Oversabi Aunty, has grossed over ₦1 billion in cinemas.
FilmOne Entertainment, the movie’s distributor, announced on Monday that the comedy film has earned ₦1,017,201,953 from cinema screenings across Nigeria and other West African countries. The figure places Oversabi Aunty as the first Nollywood directorial debut to cross the ₦1 billion mark and the fourth highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time.
The film was released on December 19, 2025, and has remained in cinemas weeks after its debut. FilmOne also confirmed that the movie, which is currently showing in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, will be released in select cinemas in the United States and Canada.
Oversabi Aunty tells the story of Toun, a church usher whose strict moral outlook and desire to correct others leads to conflict within her family and community. This leads to a disruptive wedding ceremony that forces her to confront the consequences of her actions.
Reacting to the achievement, Abraham expressed gratitude to her supporters and collaborators. In a message shared on Instagram, she wrote:
“Thank you God. Thank you Toyintitans, Nigerians, my cast, my crew, FilmOne, everyone. I’m short of words. Oversabi Aunty is my first directorial project.”
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Ali Nuhu, also commented on the film’s performance. In a statement posted online, he said:
“The Nigerian Film Corporation recognises the remarkable box office journey of Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi’s Oversabi Aunty, which has now officially crossed the ₦1 billion mark in Nigerian cinemas,” Nuhu said.
He added that the film demonstrated how locally grounded stories, when properly produced and marketed, could achieve wide commercial reach.
Oversabi Aunty is Abraham’s highest-grossing film to date. While her earlier cinema releases recorded strong performances, none had previously reached the ₦1 billion benchmark.
The achievement follows a separate record by fellow filmmaker Funke Akindele, whose film Behind the Scenes recently crossed ₦2.1 billion at the Nigerian box office. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) praised Akindele’s performance, describing it as a landmark for the country’s creative industry.
In a post on X, the agency said:
“Funke Akindele remains in front with Behind the Scenes.”
The NOA confirmed that Behind the Scenes is the first Nollywood film to exceed ₦2 billion in Nigeria and noted its overseas earnings of $111,256 in Canada and $190,249 across North America.
The agency also stated that Akindele is the first filmmaker to lead the African box office for three consecutive years.
