Oversabi Aunty crosses ₦1bn box office revenue, sets new Nollywood record

• Oversabi Aunty has crossed ₦1 billion in box office revenue
• The film has earned over ₦1.01 billion across West African cinemas
• It is now the 4th-highest-grossing Nollywood film ever
• It is also the first directorial debut in Nollywood history to hit ₦1bn

Nollywood has another billion-naira movie on its hands.

Toyin Abraham’s Oversabi Aunty has surpassed ₦1 billion at the box office, according to distributor FilmOne, making it one of Nollywood’s highest-grossing films with ₦1.01 billion earned in West African cinemas.

With the achievement, Oversabi Aunty becomes the fourth-highest-grossing Nigerian film ever released in cinemas. It also makes history as the first Nollywood directorial debut to cross the ₦1 billion threshold, a rare feat in an industry where box office dominance is often led by more established directors.

The film earned over ₦700 million in its first three weeks in theaters. New figures reveal that it remained popular even after its initial release, solidifying its position as one of Nollywood’s most commercially successful movies.

Oversabi Aunty: what the win means for the film industry

Reaching ₦1 billion is becoming more frequent for Nollywood, though still a significant milestone. The industry, which once struggled for consistent theatrical success, now sees multiple films rapidly surpassing box office records, indicating growing audience confidence in cinema.

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Oversabi Aunty’s performance also stands out because it wasn’t backed by a long-established directing brand. For a first-time director to reach this level suggests audiences are responding more to storytelling, casting, and buzz than just pedigree, a shift that could widen opportunities for emerging filmmakers. This is a win for Toyin Abraham.

FilmOne has confirmed that its revenue comes from cinemas throughout West Africa, not only in Nigeria. This regional success is important because the film industry, which has historically relied on Nigerian audiences, is now expanding into broader theatrical distribution across West Africa to drive growth.

The movie’s success shows that releasing films in theaters first is still a good strategy, even though streaming services are changing how movies are distributed. Earning ₦1 billion at the box office proves to producers that showing movies in theaters can still make a lot of money before they are available online.

It also sets new expectations. When many movies start reaching the same revenue levels, future movies will be judged against those benchmarks. Distributors and investors might become more selective, supporting projects they think can compete at that high level instead of simply funding a large number of projects.

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