Funke Akindele’s newly released films, “Everybody Loves Jenifa” and “Alakada! Bad and Boujee”, have propelled Nigerian cinemas to record ticket sales of over ₦1 billion in a single week.

According to data from Nile Media Entertainment Group, ticket sales between 20 and 26 December 2024 amounted to ₦1.02 billion, the highest weekly total in Nigerian cinema history.

“This milestone demonstrates the growth of Nigeria’s film industry. The Nigerian box office has crossed ₦1 billion in a single week for the first time in 2024,” the entertainment group said in a statement.

“Everybody Loves Jenifa” has sold 153,800 tickets as of 26 December, generating ₦782.8 million in just 14 days. The film is on track to surpass the ₦1 billion mark faster than Akindele’s previous record-breaking hit, “A Tribe Called Judah,” which reached the milestone in 21 days.

The film set another record as the fastest Nollywood production to gross ₦500 million, achieving the feat in only 12 days. Internationally, it earned $100,000 during its opening weekend across nine territories, including the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia.

Box office data revealed that 26 December was the highest-grossing day in Nigerian cinema history, with ticket sales totalling ₦256.4 million. Over 47,500 tickets were sold on the day, ranking it among the top three days for ticket sales, alongside 26 December 2019 (55,449 tickets) and 26 December 2018 (52,563 tickets).

“Everybody Loves Jenifa” also became the first film to gross over ₦100 million in a single day, surpassing its previous record of ₦89.8 million. In the same week, four titles earned more than ₦25 million in a day, five grossed over ₦15 million, six surpassed ₦10 million, and eight brought in over ₦5 million.

Industry data from Nigerian Box Office X showed that ticket sales during the week were led by “Everybody Loves Jenifa” with ₦426.9 million, followed by Mufasa with ₦173 million, “Alakada: B&B” with ₦127.3 million, “The Waiter” with ₦104.2 million, and Moana 2 with ₦52.7 million.

Nile Media described the ₦1.02 billion sales figure as a reflection of the industry’s creativity, resilience, and growing global appeal.

“It is proof that our stories matter, that audiences are eager to connect, and that together, we can achieve greatness,” the company stated.