The growth of Nollywood: Movies that grossed millions in box office in 2021

The Nigeria movie industry (Nollywood) has developed really well when it comes to matters of movie distribution. It can be argued that challenges such as piracy which had a major impact on movie distribution a few years back have reduced drastically, making the movie industry a booming one.

According to this report, Nollywood contributes 2.3% and about 239 billion Naira ($660 million) to the GDP of Nigeria, and that figure is projected to increase to a booming $1 billion.

While we talk about how much Nollywood is raking in and the impact of that revenue on the GDP of the country, it is also important to talk about the movies that make that figure possible.

In this article, we will talk about Nollywood movies that grossed millions in 2021. The figures in this article however only highlight how much the movies sold in theatres, as revenues from other streams such as DVD distribution are not included.

The Ghost and The Tout Too

This movie by Toyin Abraham Production tells the story of a woman who has the gift of communicating with ghosts. Reluctantly accepting that this talent is now a part of her, she ran into the spirit of a woman whose body is in a coma, leaving her trapped between life and death.

The movie directed by Michael (Ama Psalmist) Akinrogunde has prominent names in Nollywood such as Alexander Abolore, Toyin Abraham, Lateef Adedimeji, Odunlade Adekola, Ini Edo, Osas Ighodaro, Destiny Etiko, and more starring in the movie.

The movie grossed N134,408,075 in cinemas nationwide since its release.

Prophetess

This is a Nigerian sports comedy movie telling the story of Ajoke, a local Prophetess who made a bogus prediction about a football match that sets off a chain of events in the community beyond her control. With her life in danger, she enlists the help of her twin sister to save her.

The movie is directed by Niyi Akinmolayan, starring Toyin Abraham, Kehinde Bankole, Kunle Remi, Deyemi Okanlawon, Lateef Adedimeji, Seyi Awolowo, Uzor Arukwe among others.

The movie grossed N131,441,252 in cinemas nationwide since its release.

My Village People

This movie is a Nigerian comedy thriller that tells the story of a young man whose womanizing habits landed him in trouble as he is caught in a terrible love triangle with witches. The lead in this story, after returning to his village for his sister’s wedding found himself being hunted by forces beyond him because of his inability to stop womanizing.

The movie is directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and written by popular Nigerian comedian, Bovi Ugboma. Also, the movie starred prominent names such as the late Rachel Oniga, Sophie Alakija, Amaechi Muonagor, and many more.

The movie grossed N100,958,400 in cinemas nationwide since its release.

Ayinla

This one tells the story of legendary Nigerian musician, Ayinla Omowura who used his Apala music to address societal issues, commending and criticizing various governments and individuals when necessary. The movie tells the story of the musician and the many struggles he had to face as well as his rise to stardom.

Directed by Tunde Kelani, the movie stars big names in the industry like Lateef Adedimeji, Bimbo Ademoye, Kunle Afolayan among others.

The movie grossed N91,308,900 in cinemas nationwide since its release.

Bad Comments

Bad Comments is a fast-paced fusion of drama and thriller, with a dash of comedic relief thrown in for good measure. Inspired by true events, it depicts the lives of celebrities and how their careers can be jeopardized by propaganda spread by social media trolls.

Directed by Moses Inwang, the movie stars Chiwetalu Agu, Yemi Blaq, Edward Chukwuma-Jiah, and many more.

The movie grossed N66,393,947 in cinemas nationwide since its release.

Notable Mentions

It is important to note that there are other Nollywood movies released in 2021 that also grossed millions that didn’t make this list.

Two movies that get a notable mention however are Soole and Aki & Pawpaw Remake. These two are still in the cinemas nationwide and are already doing big numbers. So far, Aki & Pawpaw Remake just hit N50 million in the first 7 days of release while Soole is doing an impressive 29 million.

Nollywood is making us proud and we are here to witness the potential of how the industry can be better than it is right now.