Nigerian filmmaker Funke Akindele has officially become Africa’s highest-grossing filmmaker of all time, following the record-breaking box office performance of her latest film, Behind The Scenes.
According to figures released by distributors, the film has now crossed the ₦2+ billion mark in cinema revenue, making it the highest-grossing film in Nigerian and West African cinema history. The milestone places Akindele at the top of Africa’s box office rankings, ahead of all other filmmakers on the continent.
Behind The Scenes, released in December 2025, opened to strong audience turnout across Nigerian cinemas and select international markets. Within weeks of release, the film recorded multiple box office milestones, including:
- One of the largest opening weekends in Nollywood history
- Fastest Nollywood film to cross several revenue benchmarks
- First Nigerian film to officially exceed ₦2 billion in total box office earnings
The figures were confirmed by FilmOne Entertainment and other industry tracking platforms monitoring cinema revenue in Nigeria.
This achievement builds on Akindele’s growing reputation as Nollywood’s most commercially successful filmmaker. In recent years, her projects have consistently dominated the box office, including:
- A Tribe Called Judah, which became one of Nollywood’s earliest billion-naira films
- Everybody Loves Jenifa, which previously held the record as Nigeria’s highest-grossing local film
With Behind The Scenes surpassing all previous records, Akindele now holds the top three highest-earning Nollywood films in cinema history.
Akindele’s achievement is also being viewed as a major milestone for African cinema, demonstrating that locally produced African films can achieve large-scale commercial success without relying on foreign studios.
By becoming Africa’s highest-grossing filmmaker, Funke Akindele has further established her status as one of the most influential figures in the Nigerian film industry.
