Filmmaker Funke Akindele and director Tunde Olaoye have claimed the top spot on Nigeria’s 2025 box-office directors chart with a combined gross of ₦1.32 billion, according to industry data highlighted by data firm StatiSense from the Nigeria Box Office Yearbook. The ranking cements Akindele’s ongoing commercial dominance in Nollywood, moving her further from her roots as a television comedy star into the upper echelon of studio leadership and theatrical production.
The figures, which track theatrical performances across the country throughout 2025, illustrate a fiercely competitive domestic film market. Premium Times reported that filmmaker Adebayo Tijani followed closely behind in second place with ₦1.159 billion, while Tope Adebayo secured the third position with ₦852 million. Other directors rounding out the top ten included Yehi Morafa, Toyin Abraham-Ajeyemi, Kayode Kasum, Muyiwa Ademola, Biodun Stephen, Adeoluwa Owu, and Daniel Etim Effiong. Collectively, the top 10 directors were attached to films that pulled in at least ₦5.97 billion at the Nigerian box office during the year.
Behind the Scenes and Akindele’s Record-Breaking Run
Akindele’s position at the summit of the 2025 chart was anchored by a series of high-profile theatrical releases. Among them was the drama Behind the Scenes, which she produced and released in cinemas on December 12, 2025. The film follows a real estate entrepreneur, Aderonke Faniran, portrayed by Scarlet Gomez, as she faces intense personal and professional pressures.
In January, Premium Times reported that Behind the Scenes crossed the ₦2 billion mark at the box office, becoming the first Nollywood production to reach that milestone. Simpson Global Media noted that the milestone extended a continuous commercial streak that includes Battle on Buka Street, which grossed ₦640 million locally before earning additional ticket sales in the United States, and A Tribe Called Judah, which crossed the ₦1 billion threshold. Her later project, Everybody Loves Jenifa, subsequently grossed ₦1.88 billion to establish a new West African box-office benchmark.
Expanding Commercial Depth Across Nollywood
While Akindele and Olaoye led the aggregate figures, the wider 2025 rankings revealed a diverse spread of commercially viable talent across the industry. Toyin Abraham-Ajeyemi ranked fifth with ₦480 million generated from titles such as Oversabi Aunty, Street Genius, and Monetised Marriage. Kayode Kasum followed with ₦422 million, and Muyiwa Ademola captured seventh place with ₦419 million, bolstered by the spiritual drama Orí Rebirth, which debuted on May 1, 2025.
Akindele’s consistent presence at the top of these rankings reflects a broader shift in Nollywood, where filmmakers increasingly operate as recognized commercial brands.
