By Ayomide Otitoju
Nigerian cinemas achieved a historic milestone, recording ticket sales of over ₦1 billion in one week, driven largely by Funke Akindele’s latest movies, Everybody Loves Jenifa and Alakada: Bad and Boujee.
According to Nile Media Entertainment Group, between December 20 and 26, 2024, cinemas sold tickets worth ₦1.02 billion, marking an all-time high for the Nigerian box office.
“Today, we’re proud to share an incredible milestone: the Nigerian box office has crossed ₦1 billion in a single week in 2024,” the company announced.
Everybody Loves Jenifa has emerged as a standout success, with total ticket sales of 153,800 as of December 26, raking in ₦782.8 million in just 14 days. The movie is on track to surpass the ₦1 billion mark faster than Akindele’s previous hit, A Tribe Called Judah, which took 21 days to reach the same milestone.
Notably, Everybody Loves Jenifa became the fastest Nollywood film to gross ₦500 million, achieving the feat in just 12 days. It also made a significant impact internationally, earning $100,000 during its opening weekend in nine territories, including the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia.
December 26 marked the highest-grossing day in Nigerian box office history, with ticket sales of ₦256.4 million. On the same day, over 47,500 tickets were sold, ranking as the third-highest single-day ticket sales, trailing only December 26 records from 2019 and 2018.
The week also saw Everybody Loves Jenifa set a new benchmark, becoming the first Nollywood film to gross over ₦100 million in a single day, eclipsing its previous record of ₦89.8 million.
Other strong performers included Mufasa with ₦173 million, Alakada: Bad and Boujee at ₦127.3 million, The Waiter at ₦104.2 million, and Moana 2 at ₦52.7 million.
Nile Media highlighted the significance of this achievement, saying, “The ₦1.02 billion figure reflects the film industry’s passion, creativity, and resilience. It is proof that our stories matter, that audiences are eager to connect, and that together, we can achieve greatness.”
The extraordinary success of Everybody Loves Jenifa cements Funke Akindele’s reputation as one of Nollywood’s most bankable stars, setting new standards for the industry.
