The Nigerian box office achieved an unprecedented milestone in December 2024, generating over N2.8 billion in revenue and selling more than 537,000 tickets.
These figures represent the highest single-month gross since December 2019, establishing a new benchmark for the industry and reflecting the growing popularity of Nollywood films and the resilience of cinema in Nigeria.
Leading the box office surge was “Everybody Loves Jenifa,” which continued to dominate, grossing N1.035 billion by its third weekend. The film added N250 million in its final weekend of December, solidifying its place as one of Nollywood’s highest-grossing productions.
Other notable films contributing to the month’s success include the family-friendly “Mufasa,” which grossed N93.8 million in its second weekend, bringing its total to N267 million, and “Alakada: Bad & Boujee,” which earned N70.3 million, pushing its cumulative gross to N205.3 million.
International titles also made an impact, with “Sonic 3” debuting at N70.6 million and Disney’s “Moana 2” accumulating N358.3 million after five weeks.
The standout event was Boxing Day, which saw 47,672 tickets sold, making it the highest post-pandemic single-day tally and the third-highest in Nigerian box office history, behind only December 26, 2019, and December 26, 2018.
The average ticket price for December was N5,220, indicating robust consumer spending on cinema. Nollywood’s dominance in the month’s performance highlights the growing preference for local content, supported by government initiatives such as the N5 billion Creative Fund launched earlier this year to finance the film and creative sectors.
With the December results signaling a potential record-breaking year, Nigeria’s cinema industry is on track to surpass the N10 billion revenue mark, marking double-digit growth and further cementing its status as a leading cinema market in Africa.
The country’s creative economy, employing over 4.2 million people, is set to generate 2.7 million additional jobs over the next five years, with projections indicating the sector could be valued at $15 billion by 2025.
