Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham, Femi Adebayo Drive Nollywood to N2.9 Billion Box Office in 2025
Despite ongoing challenges in the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood has continued to shine on the box office front, thanks to the success of films led by top stars Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham, and Femi Adebayo. Together, their releases have contributed nearly N2.9 billion to the industry’s revenue in 2025.
Funke Akindele has once again proven her box office dominance with her 2025 film, Behind The Scenes, released on December 12. The movie grossed N1,767,305,878 by the end of December and is on track to potentially surpass the N2 billion mark. Akindele, whose filmography includes Jenifa, Return of Jenifa, and Omo Ghetto, thanked her fans, cast, crew, and distributors for their unwavering support. “Forever grateful to God and my fans. Thank you for the love and support over the years,” she said.
Toyin Abraham also contributed significantly to Nollywood’s 2025 earnings with her movie Oversabi Aunty, which grossed N711 million in just 18 days. Abraham has built a strong track record of commercial successes, including her 2024 film Alakada: Bad and Boujee, which earned N500 million in 15 weeks, proving her ability to consistently draw audiences to cinemas.
Femi Adebayo took a different approach with his film Ageshinkole 2, generating N417 million in 12 days. He implemented a community-focused screening model, showing the film in selected cinemas at an affordable ticket price of N3,000. This approach not only made the film more accessible to audiences outside major cities but also helped prevent piracy through partnerships with Circuit TV, inspired by traditional traveling theatre methods.
The combined contributions of Akindele, Abraham, and Adebayo amounted to N2.895 billion, highlighting Nollywood’s commercial potential despite structural challenges. However, the industry still faces issues around revenue distribution. Filmmakers have voiced concerns that cinema operators and distributors sometimes earn more from ticket sales than producers and investors. Screen allocation and scheduling have also been questioned, particularly regarding films distributed by FilmOne Entertainment, which owns a studio, distribution network, and cinema chains across Nigeria and parts of West Africa.
Both FilmOne and the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) have denied claims of favoritism, stating that cinema scheduling is based on audience demand, real-time ticket sales, and market performance. CEAN encouraged filmmakers to submit formal complaints and suggested roundtable discussions to address concerns over access to screens and screening times.
Despite these challenges, the successes of Akindele, Abraham, and Adebayo demonstrate Nollywood’s resilience and growth. Their achievements prove that with the right mix of talent, strategic planning, and audience engagement, the Nigerian film industry can continue to deliver both artistic excellence and strong financial returns.
