Entertainment
2019: ‘How Nigerians Spent N76bn In Cinemas’
Nigerian spent almost seven billion naira (N6,976,882,087) to watch films in the cinemas in 2019. The report is based on the data provided by cinemas and gathered by cinema Exhibitions-Association of Nigeria (CEAN).
The year opened with ‘Aguaman”, Chief Daddy and ‘Up North’ sitting on the top three of the chart with estimated combined earnings of N68,263,512 million. Earnings remained low for February, making it the lowest growing month with a total of N291.8 million.
By March, viewership picked up steadily and the earnings were almost doubled from that of February leading to a total of N434,432,431. It was gathered that earnings from April climbed from N186,929,188 million in its third week to N342,382, 389 in its final week.
The month closed with estimated total earnings of N734,151,060 million due to a major boost from Disney’s end game. In may there was a massive dip in earnings similar to that experienced in February with End game’, The Intruder and ‘Longshot’, it earned a total N367,498,554 million.
June opened with N161,132,714, but closed with N100,663,647 leading to a total earning of N576,322,779 million in July the highest grossing film for the period was Blind ‘Lagosians, the film grossed the highest in come in cinemas in June. In the first week of July, the movie earned N37.4 million.
For the last weekend in August, Blind Lagosians settled at member 20 with “once upon a time in Hollywood” struggling at number 19, the ‘Get up’ had dropped to number 5.
It was gathered that cumulatively, the cinemas earned over N3 billion in the first half of 219 and over N1.2 billion in July and August of the same year.
In September, Angel Hs Fallen’ topped the box office with a gross of N40,434,564 million it was followed by fast and furious: Hobbsand Shaw and Nollywood film. The millions which debuted at number three raking in N10,046.476 million.
‘Angel has fallen’ remained on top for the second week with ‘Hustlers’ debuting at number one at the third week: By the end of the month, cinemas earnings had dropped by 13 percent with Rambo: Last Blood at number one.
In October ‘Love is War’ started strong with N141,228,280 in first week, fast and furious: Hobbs and Shaw Sank to bottom in its 10th week, the same was the case for the ‘Lion King’ which was in its 12th week.
However, ‘Joker’ snagged the number one spot by the second week of October with the cinema gross totaling N83,703,650 that week. By the third week Gemini man’ pushed ‘Joker’ to the second place and Nollywoods ‘Chrastor Baby’ debuted at number three.
At the final week, the four top films week maleficent ‘Black and Blue, Gemini man and Joker in that order with Chraster Baby at number six. The total gross was N88,063,047 million.
November opened with terminator: The Park fate on top ranking in N37,267,747 million maleficient now in its third week earned N18, 459, 252 million in second place.
Nollywood was at the sixth place with Sluator Baby which made N4,298,150 million and living and Bondage: Breaking free debuted in its first weekend at number seven. The second week Living in Bondage: Breaking Free sat on top in its first full week and made N48,492,825 million pushing terminator to second place. Elevator Baby dropped to number eight and the week closed at N114, 331,989 million.
Living in Bondage continued its winning streak and suffered only seven percent decrease, but was pushed to second place by the end of the month ’21 Bridges’, ‘The Ghost’ and ‘The House of Truth’ debuted at seventh place.
December opened with living in Bondage redeeming its number one spot, followed by ’21 Bridges and Frozen. The total gross of the week N85,863,384 which was a hundred percent increase. By the third week there was another 44 percent increase with ‘Jumanji debuting and making N59,313,872 million and ‘Your Excellency’ grossed N36,652,637 million.
Funke Akindele’s Behind The Scenes becomes Nollywood’s highest-grossing film of 2025, earning ?1.77bn in under four weeks.
Multi-award-winning actress and producer Funke Akindele has done it again, and this time, the numbers speak louder than applause.
Her latest film, Behind The Scenes, has officially emerged as the highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2025, pulling in an astonishing ?1.767 billion in less than four weeks.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Funke Akindele Makes Box Office History as Behind The Scenes Crosses ?1.77bn
Earlier in its release cycle, the film’s distributor, FilmOne Entertainment, revealed that Behind The Scenes smashed five opening-weekend records, including the highest single-day gross ever recorded on Boxing Day, with ?129.5 million in one day. That announcement already hinted that something unusual was unfolding.
Reacting to the milestone, FilmOne described the moment as both surreal and communal, crediting audience loyalty for pushing the film to the top spot once again as the number-one movie of the weekend. And that sentiment feels accurate. This wasn’t just ticket sales; it was momentum.
What makes this achievement even more striking is that Behind The Scenes is Funke Akindele’s third film to cross the ?1 billion mark. Before now, there was A Tribe Called Judah, and then Everybody Loves Jenifa, a film that didn’t just open big, but went on to become the highest-grossing Nollywood film of all time. At this point, it’s no longer a fluke. It’s a pattern.
Part of Behind The Scenes’ success lies in strategy. The film enjoyed advanced screenings on December 10 and 11, quietly building curiosity and conversation before its nationwide release on December 12. By the time it officially hit cinemas, audiences already felt like they needed to see it.
Then there’s the cast. The film brings together a lineup that feels deliberately stacked: Scarlet Gomez, Iyabo Ojo, Destiny Etiko, Tobi Bakre, Uche Montana, and several others. Familiar faces, strong fan bases, and performances that kept word-of-mouth alive long after opening weekend.
Still, beyond timing and casting, there’s something else at work here. Funke Akindele understands Nigerian audiences. Their humour, their pacing, their emotional buttons. She doesn’t guess, she calculates, experiments, listens, and refines. That understanding has slowly turned into box-office dominance.
Behind The Scenes crossing ?1.77 billion isn’t just another headline; it’s confirmation. Funke Akindele has moved from being a successful actress to becoming one of the most reliable commercial forces Nollywood has ever produced. Three-billion-naira films don’t happen by luck. They happen when storytelling, business sense, and audience trust align.
And right now, that alignment seems firmly in her hands.
Popular Nigerian music stars, Adekunle Kosoko, widely known as Adekunle Gold, and his wife, Simi, have become parents again this time to twins.
The award-winning singer shared the joyful update on his Snapchat story on Wednesday, confirming the expansion of their family.
“Asked God for another child and he blessed me double,” she wrote.
While the couple has not yet disclosed the gender of the newborns, the announcement has sparked an outpouring of warm wishes from admirers, fellow celebrities, and industry colleagues.
Speculation had intensified in December when Simi posted a video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, “From my baby, for my babies.”
The clip showed her with a growing baby bump, fueling anticipation that another child was on the way.
Their latest blessings arrive just weeks after Simi highlighted a scene from Adekunle Gold’s newly released music video, “My Love is the Same,” further stirring excitement among fans.
The Tide Entertainment reports that Adekunle Gold and Simi who tied the knot in 2019 after a long history of friendship and musical synergy remain one of Nigeria’s most admired entertainment power couples. Both artistes were once signed to X3M Music before soaring into mainstream acclaim.
The pair welcomed their first child, Adejare Kosoko, fondly called Deja, in May 2020.
After closing out 2025 with the release of “Praise the Lord” featuring Magnito, Jesse Flames enters the new year with renewed clarity and purpose, continuing to build a body of work rooted in intention rather than noise. In a moment where Afrobeats is moving faster and louder than ever, his approach remains measured and deliberate, prioritizing meaning, craft, and longevity over momentary attention. The official music video arrives January 10.
Following the momentum of his breakout single “FLEX,” “Praise the Lord” represents a shift from celebration to grounding. Reflective and soulful, the record centers gratitude, growth, and perspective, capturing a quieter confidence that resonates beyond a single moment.
“This song is about recognizing the full picture,” Jesse shares. “The work people see and the work they don’t. The lessons, the setbacks, the growth.”
The collaboration with Magnito, a respected voice in Nigerian hip hop known for his sharp lyricism and cultural authenticity, adds depth and weight to the record, reinforcing its themes of resilience, faith, and self reflection.
Released in December at the height of Detty December, “Praise the Lord” became a natural soundtrack for both celebration and reflection as the year came to a close. With the video arriving in January, the record takes on new meaning, opening the year as a tone setter rather than a reset.
Born in the United States, raised in Festac, Lagos, and now based in London, Jesse Flames brings a global perspective to his sound, blending Afrobeats, hip hop, and melodic soul into something sleek and intentional. His music reflects lived experience and cultural nuance rather than trend chasing.
The Tide Entertainment reports that with over 11 million streams, performances at O2 Brixton Academy and OVO Arena Wembley, and coverage from The Guardian and Business Post Nigeria, Jesse’s rise has been steady and self made. Looking ahead to 2026 and 2027, he is preparing for collaborations with Ice Prince, M.I Abaga, and Smurlee.
“Praise the Lord” ft. Magnito is available now on all streaming platforms.
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