See 8 Highest Grossing Nigerian Films For Box Office Sales
Most Nollywood films have a budget of about $25,000 and are shot in a week. By comparison, $250,000 is considered a small budget film in the U.S. Yet Nigeria’s Nollywood film industry is so prolific that in 2009 it overtook the U.S., earning its spot as the second largest movie industry, producing more content than Hollywood and right behind India. These numbers might seem low by U.S. standards, until you realize that Nigeria has about 100 movie theater screens and a few dozen movie theaters, compared to almost 40,000 screens in the U.S. Nigerian theaters aren’t accessible to most people in Nigeria. Here are 8 of the highest grossing Nigerian films for box office sales.
Flower Girl: N 29,763,800 ($150,000)
“Flower Girl” is a romantic comedy that came out in theaters in Nigeria on Valentine’s Day, 2013. It features up-and-coming Nollywood talent including Patrick Doyle, Teni Aofiyebi, and Tosan Edremoda-Ugbeye. The filmmakers wanted to tell a story about a young woman who focuses so much on the perfect wedding that she forgets about the lifelong commitment that comes after.
The Return of Jenifa, N 35,000,000 ($176,000)
“The Return of Jenifa” came out in 2011 and stars one of the richest Yoruba actors, Funke Akindele. “The Return of Jenifa” is a sequal to the film “Jenifa” which solidfied Akindele’s place on the roster of top Nigerian talent. The logline for the movie is, “A razz village girl gets a second chance to go to university in Lagos. Will she pursue her talents as a dancer or repeat her scandalous mistakes?”
Last Flight to Abuja, N 57,600,000 ($286,000)
The plane crash thriller, “Last Flight to Abuja,” was the highest grossing West African film in 2012, bringing in around $350,000 from various sources of revenue. The producers didn’t end up pocketing much since the film cost them $250,000—nearly six times the typical budget for a film in the Nigerian film industry. But the result was a film with production quality nearly unprecedented on the Nigerian film scene.
Ije, N 59,800,000 ($300,600)
The crime drama “Ije” won the award for Best Editing at the Treasure Coast International Film Festival in 2010. The story follows a Nigerian woman who travels to the U.S. to help her sister who is on trial for murder. In an interview, producer Chiene Ayaene said that three years after filming the movie she had still not made back the money she spent making it. She hoped DVD sales would make up for extra production costs.
October 1, N60,000,000 ($301,600)
“October 1” came out in 2014 and was described as an “artsy” film rather than a commercial one. The story takes place in 1960, right before Nigeria gained independence from the U.K., and follows a Nigerian detective investigating the murders of women in a small community. Many critics say this is a movie classic that will stand the test of time, with residuals trickling in for years to come (as opposed to large commercial films that see a one-time big boom in profits).
Half of a Yellow Sun, N60,000,000 ($301,600)
“Half of a Yellow Sun” is a 2013 film adaptation of the sensational book about the Nigerian state Biafra’s struggle to gain independence in the 1960s and the violence that ensued. The film had a budget of $8 million, making it one of the most expensive Nigerian films ever made, and was produced by Oscar-winners Andrea Calderwood (“The Last King of Scotland”) and Gail Egan (“The Constant Gardener”).
Fifty, N 100,000,000 ($502,000)
“Fifty” came out in 2015 and managed to stay in theaters for four months due to its box office sales. The romantic drama follows four women going through pivotal turning points in their lives, including divorce, pregnancy, and affairs. The movie broke records when it made N 20 million in just one holiday weekend. Beyond its theater success, the film has made around N 4 million through other revenue means like Netflix and in-flight entertainment.
30 Days in Atlanta, N 137,200,000 ($688,756)
Nigerian comedian Ayo Makun created and starred in “30 Days in Atlanta,” a 2014 comedy about the exploits of a first-time visitor to the U.S. The film sold out the first weekend and trumped all previous box office records held by Nigerian films. It made $320,000 in just the first two month in theaters. Analysts said this would make more foreign investors want to put their money in the Nigerian film industry.
