Entertainment
‘Nigeria Realised $104m From Film, Music In 2019’
Nigeria’s creative industry has been described as the fastest growing sector of the economy with $ 53 Million and $ 51 Million accrued last year from film and music respectively.
The minister for information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this said in terms of business opportunities, employment and earnings, the entertainment industry is an unexplored keg of potentialities.
The minister stated this during a working visit to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation( NTDC) headquarters in Abuja last Tuesday. He said the film industry is the least untapped.
“Today we have 53 cinema houses with less than 200 screens,but for a population of 200 million people, we need a minimum of 1000 cinema houses and 6000 screens.You can i imagine Nigeria made, $53 million last year from the film industry under 200 screens, how much more when we have 6000 screens. Our music is growing, we are looking at $ 86 million next year”, he said.
“ We need to work harder so that we can actually actualize the potentials of this industry and make It not just the fastest growing sector in Nigeria, but also increase our Gross Domestic Product(GDP) from 1.24 percent, the industry accounts for 2.24 percent of our GDP. This can actually grow to 3 percent of the GDP”, he said.
He charged the Tourism Agency to harness the huge potentials of the industry to attract people to Nigeria, because there are many reasons people should come to Nigeria.
Nigeria is a country of colours with 250 ethnic groups, good culture and almost a year round of good weather.
“We are blessed with a good music industry that has become global and even Nollywood is the second best in the world, our fashion is celebrated globally, adding that the Visa on Arrival policy for African nationals which began operation this year is an added advantage to explore”, he said.
The minister said the tourism sector could generate more revenue into government coffers and increase the fortune in the industry.
Earlier in his address, the Director General of NDTC,Folorunsho Coker said the agency was working on a framework that would reposition It on it on a new path of growth.
“ NTDC has in the last two and a half years been focusing on the new framework, because It is important to have a framework for tourism exploration “,he said.
Given the agency’s progress report, he said the “ Tour Nigeria “and” Nigeria Flavour “twin program he created in 2017 are driving to their full potential to promote domestic tourism.
Highlighting the agency’s roadmap for tourism promotion and development,Mr.Coker said tourism would move very rapidly to grow the country’s economy. The roadmap was named CHIEF,C=corporate and regularity, H=Human capital development, I=Infrastructural development, E=Event and marketing and F=Financing and investment.
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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