Nigerian cinema pulled in more than N2.25 billion at the domestic box office in the first half of 2026, with romantic comedies and dramas driving ticket sales even as streaming and piracy continue to pressure the industry, according to a breakdown of the year’s top-grossing titles.
“Call of My Life” led the pack with N719.8 million over nine weeks in theaters, followed by “Love and New Notes” at N400.5 million across a 15-week run and “The Return of Arinzo” at N351.5 million over ten weeks. “Ajosepo: The Gathering” and “Onobiren” rounded out the top five, with N165 million and N138.3 million respectively.
The rest of the top ten included Faithia Williams’ “Efunroye” at N114.9 million, “The Creek” at N108.1 million, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde’s directorial effort “Mother’s Love” at N103.1 million, “The Boy Who Gave” at N82.4 million, and “Iwe Ala,” which crossed N74.1 million in just four weeks.
The report frames the numbers as evidence that “Nigerians are swapping data subscriptions for cinema tickets,” a notable trend given how much of the industry’s recent growth conversation has centered on streaming deals rather than theatrical performance. Several of 2026’s biggest hits are also finding second lives on platforms like Netflix once their cinema runs end, following a pattern similar to “Colours of Fire,” which moved to Netflix in August after its own theatrical release. Viewers looking for more homegrown recommendations have also been turning to guides like the Detty December Nollywood watchlist.
With romantic storylines proving especially durable at the box office, and multiple films still adding to their totals well into their second and third months in theaters, the first-half numbers suggest Nigerian audiences are backing homegrown stories in cinemas even as competition for their attention multiplies elsewhere.
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