Here are 10 women dominating Nollywood’s box office in 2026

“Nollywood is quietly taking its own country back,” a social entrepreneur said in a recent post on X, and it captures something that has been happening in Nigerian cinemas for a while. 

For years, Hollywood had a strong grip on the Nigerian box office, while local films often had to fight for the remaining audience. But that dynamic is changing.

In 2025, local and foreign films were almost evenly matched at the Nigerian box office. In the first half of 2026, Nollywood pulled ahead, with seven Nigerian films crossing the ₦100 million mark compared with three Hollywood titles. The period recorded ₦8.83 billion in box-office revenue, surpassing the ₦7.75 billion recorded in H1 2025.

One of the biggest highlights was Dammy Twitch’s romantic comedy Call of My Life, which broke away from the traditional December cinema window to gross more than ₦855 million.

But the most exciting part of this box-office resurgence is not just how much Nigerians are spending at the cinema. It is what they are choosing to watch.

For a very long time, Nollywood was the kind of industry where you could watch Nigerian movies at home, discuss them with your friends or family and move on to the next one. Somewhere along the way, however, the cinema experience became part of the excitement. 

We started looking forward to new releases, checking showtimes, dressing up for movie dates and arguing over which Nollywood film was worth spending our money on. And in 2026, that excitement has reached another level, with Nigerian women sitting at the centre of some of the industry’s biggest box-office successes.

It is fascinating to see how far the industry has come. Funke Akindele, for instance, did not become Nollywood’s box-office powerhouse overnight. From her early days on our television screens to becoming an actress, producer and filmmaker capable of drawing thousands of people to cinemas, her journey mirrors the evolution of the industry itself.

Today, when Funke announces a new movie, audiences pay attention.

What makes this moment even more exciting is the range of stories they are bringing to the screen. Love, family, friendship, faith, culture, ambition, womanhood and the realities of Nigerian society have found their way into stories that audiences can relate to, laugh over, cry about and debate long after leaving the cinema.

In an industry that has historically had more men in some of the most visible behind-the-camera positions, seeing Nigerian women take up space and turn their creative voices into box-office success is worth celebrating.

So, who are the women making waves at the Nigerian box office in 2026? This article tells the story of 10 women whose films were not all produced in 2026, but their creative contributions are giving audiences even more reasons to head to the cinema in 2026.

Funke Akindele — Behind the Scenes (₦2.76 billion)

Funke Akindele has moved from being one of Nollywood’s most recognisable actresses to becoming one of its most powerful filmmakers. In Behind the Scenes, she wears several hats. She is the producer, co-director, co-writer and lead actress, with the story also credited to her. 

The film, which premiered in December 2025, became the first Nollywood production to cross the ₦2 billion mark and had surpassed ₦2.6 billion by February 2026.

But Behind the Scenes is only one part of Funke’s box-office story. Her other major hits include Everybody Loves Jenifa (₦1.88 billion), A Tribe Called Judah (₦1.40 billion), Battle on Buka Street (₦668.4 million) and Omo Ghetto: The Saga (₦636.1 million).

What makes Funke stand out is consistency. She has built a recognisable audience around stories that blend comedy, family, friendship, Nigerian culture and everyday social realities with the scale and spectacle of cinema. Her achievement is not simply that one movie crossed ₦2 billion; it is that she has repeatedly turned Nigerian stories into major theatrical events.

Toyin Abraham — Oversabi Aunty (₦1.17 billion) 

Toyin Abraham has established herself as another major female force in Nollywood’s commercial cinema. In Oversabi Aunty, she takes on the lead role and director’s chair, playing Toun, a church usher whose tendency to involve herself in other people’s affairs creates trouble in her own family. 

The film became a major box-office success and cemented Toyin’s position as a filmmaker capable of drawing audiences to cinemas.

She followed that success with Alakada: Bad and Boujee, which grossed ₦500.6 million. Her strength lies in her ability to take familiar Nigerian characters and social situations and turn them into entertaining stories that audiences immediately recognise themselves in.

What is particularly interesting about Toyin is her evolution from actress to filmmaker and box-office draw. Her films often sit at the intersection of comedy, class, family and social expectations, making them both entertaining and culturally familiar.

Uzoamaka Power — Call of My Life (₦855 million)

Uzoamaka Power’s story is one of the biggest surprises on this list. In Call of My Life, she plays Soluchi, the central character in Dammy Twitch’s romantic drama. But Uzoamaka’s contribution goes beyond acting: she is also credited as the writer of the film.

The movie’s success is remarkable because it did not depend on the traditional December cinema window. It became one of the biggest Nigerian films of 2026, with the box office now reaching ₦855 million as of August 11th, 2026, according to Filmone Entertainment.

What makes Call of My Life unique is its combination of romance, family and emotional storytelling, while placing a relatively fresh female creative voice at the centre of a major commercial success. Uzoamaka therefore represents something important for Nollywood: a woman who is not only performing a character but also helping to create the story audiences are paying to see.

Bukunmi “KieKie” Adeaga-Ilori, Bisola Aiyeola, Wunmi Toriola and Bolaji Ogunmola — Gingerrr (₦522.9 million)

Gingerrr is a clear example of what can happen when four women combine their creative and commercial power. Bukunmi “KieKie” Adeaga-Ilori, Bisola Aiyeola, Wunmi Toriola and Bolaji Ogunmola are not simply actresses in the film; all four are credited as producers, while KieKie plays Lala, Bisola plays Sylvia, Wunmi plays Alabokun, and Bolaji plays Bugari.

The film grossed ₦522.9 million in 2025, making it one of Nollywood’s biggest commercial successes. While the film was released in 2025, the four women behind it remain part of the broader shift in female-led filmmaking shaping Nollywood’s commercial landscape. This was an action-comedy/heist story about four childhood friends who embark on a chaotic mission involving a box of gold. 

What makes Gingerrr stand out is the female collaboration behind the camera and in front of it. Instead of waiting for someone to create a vehicle for them, these women pooled their talents and resources to create one themselves. The result was a female-led film built around friendship, humour, adventure and chemistry, and audiences responded. 

Iyabo Ojo — The Return of Arinzo (₦351.5 million)

Iyabo Ojo took on a much bigger role in The Return of Arinzo. She was not simply appearing in the film; she served as its producer and director, making the project another example of a Nigerian actress expanding her influence behind the camera.

The film grossed ₦351.5 million, putting it among the strongest-performing Nigerian films of 2026.

What makes Iyabo’s achievement interesting is the way she uses filmmaking to tell stories rooted in Nigerian culture and social realities while still creating commercially appealing cinema. Her transition from performer to filmmaker also reflects a wider shift in Nollywood, where women are increasingly taking ownership of the stories they want to tell.

Sophia Alakija — Love and New Notes (₦400.47 million)

Sophia Alakija starred in Love and New Notes, a romantic drama directed by Kayode Kasum. She is part of the film’s principal cast alongside Timini Egbuson, Odunlade Adekola and Eniola Badmus.

The film grossed ₦400.47 million, making it one of the highest-grossing Nigerian films in the 2026 tracking period.

Its strength is its appeal to audiences who enjoy love stories and relationship-driven narratives, proving that Nollywood’s commercial success does not have to depend entirely on action, crime or Christmas comedies. 

Sophia’s presence in the film also highlights the continued ability of female actors to carry emotionally driven stories that attract cinema audiences.

Ruby Akubueze — Onobiren (₦138.3 million)

Ruby Akubueze is part of the cast of Onobiren, a film that stands out because of its focus on women’s experiences and stories. The film grossed ₦138.34 million in H1 2026.

What makes Onobiren particularly interesting is its decision to place women and their experiences at the heart of the narrative rather than making them supporting characters in someone else’s story. 

Ruby’s involvement therefore fits neatly into the bigger story this list is telling: Nigerian women are not only helping Nollywood sell tickets; they are helping determine whose stories get told and how those stories are presented. 

Read also: The creator economy has a plagiarism problem, and AI is making it worse