Highest Earning Nollywood Movies Of All Time

Nollywood is an integral part of the arts, entertainment and recreation sector of Nigeria. It is one of the world’s most recognized film industries alongside the U.S.A’s Hollywood and India’s Bollywood. The industry produces about 2,500 films per year making it one of the most busy film industries in the world. Nollywood benefits immensely from the diverse cultural traditions and lifestyles of over 200 million people, 300 tribes and some 500 languages, providing a wealth of material from which filmmakers create plots and adapt captivating storylines interpreted by skillful actors and actresses.

Though Nollywood has been accused of producing movies of low technical quality most of which have predictable storylines, there are still top quality jobs of international reckoning which have made a lot of money from box office. Here is a list of top 10 Nollywood movies that have grossed the highest earnings from Box Office.

 1. Omo Ghetto ( The Saga) N468,036,300

This is a comedy film directed by Funke Akindele and husband, JJC Skillz. It follows the chaotic life of Shalewa aka Lefty (Funke Akindele). Lefty struggles between living a life of wealth and comfort provided by her adopted mother or returning to her ghetto lifestyle. The movie which was released on December 25, 2020, ‘Omo Ghetto (The Saga) is a sequel to the actress’s 2010 trilogy ‘Omo Ghetto’ based on twin sisters who get displaced at birth. It holds the record as Nigeria’s all time highest earning movie from box office.

2. The Wedding Party N453,000,000

This is another very popular and commercially successful Nolywood movie. Kemi Adetiba’s ‘The Wedding Party’, released in December 2016 became the monument of Nollywood success after it broke the record of the highest grossing Nollywood movie. Starring celebrity couple, Adesua Etomi and Banky Wellington, the Ebonylife Films, FilmOne, Inkblot Production and Koga Studios collaboration had just the right amount of romance and comedy and became both a local and international success. Like the title suggests, the romcom is based on a wedding and the drama associated with making a successful one.

3. The Wedding Party 2 N433,197,377

The sequel to ‘The Wedding Party’ followed in 2017 and received just as much support as the first. ‘The Wedding Party 2’ directed by Niyi Akinmolayan delivered an even more grand party this time uniting a British and Nigerian couple.

Set in Nigeria and Dubai, the movie grossed N433,197,377 in box office making it the third highest grossing Nollywood movie of all time.

4. Chief Daddy N387,540,749

EbonyLife film’s 2018 December special, ‘Chief Daddy’ grossed N387,540,749 in box office making it the fourth highest grossing film of the decade.

Directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, the movie is based on the dysfunctional family of Chief Daddy, a polygamist and philanthropist. Upon his death, his children struggle to get a fair share of their inheritance.

5. Sugar Rush N287,053,270

This is Nollywood’s fifth highest grossing movie. It was released in 2019. ‘Sugar Rush’ is a comedy directed by Kayode Kasum and produced by GreOH Media, Jungle Filmworks and Empire Mates Entertainment. The heist comedy released on Christmas day stars Adesua Etomi, Bisola Aiyeola and Bimbo Ademoye. It remains one of the most successful movies Nollywood has recorded.

6. King of Boys N244,775,758

This is an amazing movie anyone would love to see. The Kemi Adetiba Visuals film is the only film on the list that is not a comedy or a romcom or even remotely close. The 2018 crime thriller starring Sola Sobowale, Adesua Etomi and star rapper Reminisce grossed N244,775,758 in box office. Adetiba’s success birthed hope in non-comedy genres becoming a commercial success.

7. Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons N235,628,358

This movie recorded huge success after its release and was popular among audience members. The Toka Mcbaror film premiered to rave reviews in 2018. Starring Ay Makun, Ramsey Nouah and Jim Iyke as the Merry Men, the film sought to deliver a well-timed action comedy.

8. Merry Men 2: Another Mission N233,958,963

The sequel released in 2019 continued the adventures of the Merry Men. The action comedy grossed N233,958,963 earning itself a spot on the top 10 highest grossing Nollywood films of the decade.

9. Your Excellency N186,340,948

The EbonyLife film launched Funke Akindele’s directorial career. The politics themed comedy joined the list of 2019 December releases. Maybe not as successful as its predecessors -‘Chief Daddy’, ‘The Wedding Party’, the movie still grossed enough to earn it the number nine spot on the list.

10. A Trip To Jamaica

This movie was on top of the pack for a long time as the most successful Nollywood movie after it was released in September 2016. Directed by Robert Peters, the Corporate World Entertainment production is the 10th highest grossing Nollywood film. The comedy grossed N180,264,964 in box office. It continues the hilarious adventures of Akpos (Ay Makun). It is another very good movie that made Nollywood prominent on the map of the entertainment world.