Nollywood star Funke Akindele has become Africa’s highest-grossing filmmaker of all time after her latest film, Behind The Scenes, crossed the two billion naira mark at the box office.
The milestone, announced by distributor FilmOne Entertainment on Monday, makes the movie the first in West African history to reach the 2bn naira (£1.1m; $1.4m) threshold.
The achievement cements Akindele’s status as the most dominant force in African cinema, marking the third consecutive year she has ranked number one at the continental box office.
‘God in motion’
Reacting to the news on social media, Akindele described the record as a “milestone, not the mission.”
“From A Tribe Called Judah grossing 1bn to Behind The Scenes crossing 2bn and still counting, this is God in motion,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Serve the story, respect the audience, refine the craft, and let the work earn its applause.”
The film has also set new benchmarks for Nollywood titles in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it has seen unprecedented ticket sales for a Nigerian production.
The Akindele Era: Top 3 Highest-Grossing Nollywood Films
Akindele now remarkably holds all three top spots in the history of Nigerian cinema:
| Rank | Title | Release Year | Gross (Naira) |
| 1 | Behind The Scenes | 2025 | 2,103,039,706 (Still in cinemas) |
| 2 | Everybody Loves Jenifer | 2024 | 1,882,553,548 |
| 3 | A Tribe Called Judah | 2023 | 1,408,227,541 |
A global shift for Nollywood
Industry analysts say Akindele’s success signals a shift in the global perception of “New Nollywood.” Her ability to blend local storytelling with high production values has proved a winning formula both at home and among the Nigerian diaspora.
With Behind The Scenes still showing in theatres, the record-breaking figure is expected to climb further, setting an even higher bar for the African film industry.
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