The Brains Behind Nollywood’s Highest-Grossing Movies
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Summary: Nigerian women dominate Nollywood as producers of the highest-grossing Nollywood blockbusters of all time. These movies have amassed billions of naira, showcasing Nollywood’s trademark of cultural diversity, community, humour, and family love.
In the 80s, Nollywood films were mainly watched on home video and cassette tapes. As technology evolves, so do filming production techniques. Women in the industry became leading figures in revolutionising the industry and producing the highest-grossing films seen in cinemas worldwide. In recent years, movies such as Behind the Scenes, Oversabi Aunty, Everybody Loves Jenifa, A Tribe Called Judah, Battle on Buka Street, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, and Gingerrr have broken West African record.
Here are the Nollywood movie producers behind the brains of the highest-grossing movies
- Funke Akindele
Funke Akindele is a Nigerian actress, filmmaker, director, and producer. She started her acting career in 1996, initially taking up minor roles. She had her breakthrough with the character “Bisi” in the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-sponsored sitcom. “I Need to Know” aired from 1998 to 2002. Her 2008 movie “Jenifa” cemented her name as one of Nigeria’s favourites.
Since 2020, the movie star has starred in the most consistently successful box-office movies in the Nollywood industry. It began in 2020 with the movie Omo Ghetto: The Saga (N636M), Battle on Bukka Street (670M) in 2022, A Tribe Called Juddah (1.4B) in 2023, and Everybody Loves Jennifer (1.8B) in 2024. Her newly released film, Behind The Scenes, centres on Aderonke Faniran, a real estate mogul who became the ATM for her extended family.
She is also the producer of the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time – Behind The Scenes. The movie crossed the N2 billion mark at the box office. Funke Akindele is widely recognised as the Queen of the Box Office due to her unprecedented Nollywood blockbusters.
2. Toyin Abraham
Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi is a Nollywood actress, director, and producer. She began her acting career in 2003, taking a minor role in the Yoruba movie “Dugbe Dugbe Nbo.” The movie star is best known for comic roles and supporting parts. She owned Toyin Abraham Productions and was the producer of Oversabi Aunty, one of Nollywood’s 2025 highest-grossing movies. Oversabi Aunty is a Nigerian comedy drama centred on Toun, a self-righteous and overzealous church usher who acts as a self-appointed moral policewoman. The movie premiered on December 19, and by January 2026, it had become the 4th-highest-grossing Nollywood movie, generating about N863.2 million at the Nigerian box office.
3. Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, Bisola Aiyeola, Bolaji Ogunmola, and Wumi Toriola
These four actresses are celebrated personalities in the Nollywood industry, known for their unique talents in acting, hosting, content creation, and comedy. They are the key producers of the 2025 Nigerian heist-thriller “Gingerrr.” Released in late 2025, Ginger is a significant commercial landmark for the Nollywood industry. It became one of Nollywood’s most successful movies, grossing over N510 million. By January 2026, Ginger was 8th on the list of highest-grossing Nollywood films of all time.
4. Kemi Adetiba
Kemi Adetiba is a Nigerian filmmaker, television director, and music video director. She began her career as a radio presenter at Rhythm 93.7 FM and later hosted television shows like “Maltina Dance All” and “Temptation Nigeria”.
She transitioned to filmmaking after studying at the New York Film Academy. She is the director of the 2016 Nigerian romantic comedy, “The Wedding Party 1.” The movie set a record to remain one of the most successful films in Nollywood history. The Wedding Party 1 follows the 24-hour wedding of a cross-cultural couple, Dunni Coker (Yoruba Bride) and Dozie Onwuka (Igbo Groom). The film amassed a landmark N452,288,605 at the Nigerian box office and retained its title as one of Nigeria’s highest-grossing movies after several years.
