On December 30, 2024, Nollywood witnessed a turning point. Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jenifa crossed the ₦1 billion mark in just 19 days, shattering box office records and redefining what is commercially possible in Nigerian cinema. The film eventually grossed ₦1.88 billion, becoming the highest-grossing Nollywood release of all time,until Akindele herself surpassed that record with Behind the Scenes, which crossed ₦2 billion in January 2026.
These figures are more than statistics. They signal a new era where billion-naira grosses are not flukes but repeatable achievements. The question is no longer “Can a Nollywood film make a billion naira?” but rather “What does it take to join the club?”
The Birth of the Billion-Naira Club
Before December 2023, no Nollywood film had ever crossed ₦1 billion at the domestic box office. The ceiling seemed fixed at ₦650–700 million, even for Akindele’s own Battle on Buka Street (₦668 million) and Omo Ghetto: The Saga (₦636 million). Hollywood’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever had crossed the billion-naira mark in Nigeria, but that was Marvel,with global marketing, A-list stars, and budgets dwarfing Nollywood’s annual revenues.
Then came A Tribe Called Judah. Released on December 15, 2023, it opened with ₦113 million;the biggest Nollywood opening weekend at the time. By January 5, 2024, barely three weeks later, it had crossed ₦1 billion, finishing with ₦1.4 billion. Suddenly, the impossible became the benchmark.
What made A Tribe Called Judah special was not just its ambition but its resonance. The film told the story of Jedidah Judah, a single mother with five sons from five different fathers representing Nigeria’s ethnic diversity. Faced with kidney disease, her sons, ranging from a pickpocket to a tout, plan a desperate mall robbery to pay for her treatment. It was emotional, funny, and quintessentially Nigerian. More importantly, it understood its audience.
The Jenifa Phenomenon
If A Tribe Called Judah opened the door to the billion-naira club, Everybody Loves Jenifa kicked it wide open.
Released on December 13, 2024, the film earned ₦46.3 million on its opening day, a record in itself. By the end of opening weekend, it had grossed ₦207 million, including advance screenings. The momentum never slowed. Week after week, it dominated Nigerian cinemas, holding the #1 spot for seven consecutive weekends. It crossed ₦500 million in 12 days, ₦1 billion in 19 days, and ultimately reached ₦1.88 billion.
To put this in perspective: Everybody Loves Jenifa made more in 19 days than Battle on Buka Street did in its entire run. It was the only Nollywood film to cross ₦1 billion in 2024, accounting for nearly 40% of December’s total box office revenue.
The film revived Jenifa, the beloved character Akindele first introduced in 2008. After rescuing a child from a burning house, Jenifa becomes a local hero and focuses on her foundation. Her joy is tested when Lobster (Stan Nze), a flashy new neighbor, launches a rival charity that overshadows her work. What follows is a comedy about jealousy, community, and staying true to oneself in a changing world.
The cast was stacked: Nancy Isime, Patience Ozokwor, Falz, Layi Wasabi, Jackie Appiah, D’Banj, and more. Production values were high, with filming across Lagos, Kumasi, and Accra. Marketing was relentless, powered by Akindele’s 20+ million social media followers. A Christmas-themed song, Everybody Loves Christmas, released ahead of the premiere, featured cast members in a five-minute music video that racked up millions of views.
Yet spectacle and marketing alone don’t explain ₦1.88 billion. Other films have had stars and budgets but failed to connect. What Everybody Loves Jenifa had was something rarer: audience trust. MORE
Conclusion
The rise of the ₦1 Billion Club marks a turning point for Nollywood. A Tribe Called Judah proved it was possible. Everybody Loves Jenifa proved it was repeatable. And Behind the Scenes proved it was scalable.
Funke Akindele’s success shows that Nollywood’s future lies not only in bigger budgets or star-studded casts but in building trust with audiences. When films reflect Nigerian realities with humor, heart, and ambition, the billion-naira club is no longer a dream,it’s the new standard.
