10 Women Taking Over Nollywood’s Box Office In 2026

There was a time when announcing that a Nigerian movie was heading to cinemas did not necessarily mean Nigerians were rushing out to buy tickets. Today, announce a new Funke Akindele movie, release the trailer and give social media enough time to debate it, and suddenly everyone wants to know how much it will make.

In the first half of 2026, seven Nigerian films crossed the ₦100 million mark, compared with three Hollywood films. The Nigerian box office recorded ₦8.83 billion, up from ₦7.75 billion during the same period in 2025.

Nollywood is increasingly convincing audiences to leave their homes, buy tickets and watch Nigerian stories on the big screen. And women are right at the centre of that shift.

From actresses becoming producers and directors to writers helping create some of the year's biggest releases, women are taking greater control of both the creative and business sides of Nollywood.

Here are 10 women making serious moves at the Nigerian box office in 2026.

1. Funke Akindele — Behind the Scenes

Let us start with the woman who has made a ₦2 billion Nollywood movie look possible.

Funke Akindele has evolved from one of Nigerian television's most recognisable actresses into one of Nollywood's biggest commercial filmmakers. In Behind the Scenes, she served as producer, co-director, co-writer and lead actress.

Released in December 2025, the movie became the first Nollywood production to cross ₦2 billion and has recorded about ₦2.76 billion.

It is hardly an isolated success. Everybody Loves Jenifa grossed ₦1.88 billion, A Tribe Called Judah earned ₦1.40 billion, Battle on Buka Street made ₦668.4 million, while Omo Ghetto: The Saga brought in ₦636.1 million.

Funke Akindele also announced her new feature film titled The Four: No One Fights Alone, scheduled for a global cinema release on December 11, 2026, distributed by FilmOne Entertainment.

2. Toyin Abraham — Oversabi Aunty | ₦1.17 Billion

Toyin Abraham has also successfully turned her name into a box-office attraction.

In Oversabi Aunty, she plays Toun, a church usher whose habit of interfering in other people's affairs eventually causes problems within her own family. Abraham also directed the movie.

The result was ₦1.17 billion at the box office.

She previously recorded another major success with Alakada: Bad and Boujee, which grossed ₦500.6 million.

Toyin's films often work because their characters are instantly familiar. Almost everyone knows the auntie who has an opinion about your relationship, job, clothes or marriage.

She turns those recognisable Nigerian personalities into commercially successful entertainment.

3. Uzoamaka Power — Call of My Life

Uzoamaka Power did more than act in one of 2026's biggest Nigerian films. She also helped write it.

In Dammy Twitch's romantic drama Call of My Life, Power plays Soluchi, the central character, while also receiving writing credit.

The movie reached ₦837.4 million as of August 7, making it one of the year's biggest Nigerian releases.

Its success is particularly notable because it did not depend on the traditional December cinema rush. Romance, family tension and emotional storytelling were enough to attract audiences.

Power represents something increasingly important in Nollywood: women contributing to major productions both as performers and storytellers.

4. Bukunmi “KieKie” Adeaga-Ilori — Gingerrr

KieKie is part of one of the most interesting collaborations on this list.

She, Bisola Aiyeola, Wunmi Toriola and Bolaji Ogunmola were all credited as producers of Gingerrr while also starring in the movie.

KieKie plays Lala, one of four childhood friends caught up in a chaotic mission involving a box of gold.

The action-comedy grossed ₦522.9 million, but the bigger story is ownership. Instead of simply waiting to be cast in another production, the women helped create the vehicle they eventually starred in.

5. Bisola Aiyeola — Gingerrr

Bisola Aiyeola plays Sylvia in Gingerrr and also receives a producer credit.

Her role highlights a wider shift within Nollywood, where established actresses are increasingly moving into production and gaining more influence over the stories audiences eventually see.

The movie combines friendship, comedy, action and chaos around a gold-related mission.

With ₦522.9 million at the box office, the project showed that female creative collaboration can also deliver serious commercial results.

6. Wunmi Toriola — Gingerrr

Wunmi Toriola plays Alabokun while also serving as one of Gingerrr's producers.

What makes the project particularly interesting is that no single woman was expected to carry the entire production alone.

Four women pooled their creative influence, appeared in the movie and helped produce it.

The film's commercial performance shows what can happen when female creatives combine their audiences, experience and production resources around a project audiences find entertaining.

7. Bolaji Ogunmola — Gingerrr | ₦522.9 Million

Bolaji Ogunmola completes the four-woman Gingerrr team, playing Bugari while also receiving a producer credit.

Her involvement reinforces what makes the project unusual: the women audiences saw on screen were also among those helping make the production happen.

That matters because ownership can give actresses greater control over their careers, from the kinds of stories they tell to the roles they choose to play.

The ₦522.9 million result suggests audiences were willing to reward that collaboration.

8. Iyabo Ojo — The Return of Arinzo

Iyabo Ojo has been in Nollywood long enough to understand the industry from the acting side. With The Return of Arinzo, she moved further behind the camera.

She served as both producer and director, while the film grossed ₦351.5 million.

Her move reflects another important development in Nollywood. Acting can give a performer visibility, but directing and producing offer greater influence over which stories are developed and how they are told.

Iyabo is no longer simply waiting for roles. She is helping decide what gets made.

9. Sophia Alakija — Love and New Notes

Sophia Alakija starred in Kayode Kasum's romantic drama Love and New Notes alongside Timini Egbuson, Odunlade Adekola and Eniola Badmus.

The film grossed ₦400.47 million, showing that romance remains commercially relevant at the Nigerian box office.

Not every successful Nigerian movie needs a heist, huge family crisis or Christmas release.

Sometimes audiences simply want to watch people fall in love, make questionable decisions and deal with the consequences.

Love and New Notes found that audience and delivered a strong commercial result.

10. Ruby Akubueze — Onobiren

Ruby Akubueze rounds out the list through her involvement in Onobiren, a film placing women's experiences at the centre of its story.

The movie recorded about ₦138.34 million in first-half box-office tracking.

That figure may be smaller than Funke Akindele's billion-naira numbers, but influence is not only about finishing first.

Films like Onobiren is highly important because they give women's stories more space in mainstream Nigerian cinema.

And that is ultimately the bigger story.

Women are no longer simply appearing in some of Nollywood's biggest films. They are writing, directing, producing and increasingly helping build the business behind them.

If the 2026 box-office numbers are anything to go by, Nigerian audiences are more than willing to pay to watch them.