Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham, Nollywood’s heavyweights, are once again dominating conversations around box office success in Nigeria. Their latest films have not only drawn massive audiences but also pushed local cinema revenues to historic levels.
Akindele’s latest film, ‘Behind the Scenes,’ has raked in more than N1.88 billion within five weeks of release, setting a new record as the highest-grossing West African film ever. With its current momentum, the movie is widely expected to cross the N2 billion mark. This latest feat reinforces Akindele’s reputation as Nollywood’s most bankable filmmaker, following earlier billion-naira successes such as ‘A Tribe Called Judah’ and ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa.’
Toyin Abraham is also enjoying a remarkable run. Her film, ‘Oversabi Aunty,’ has generated over N711 million in just 18 days, placing it as the fourth highest-grossing Nollywood title of all time. Industry watchers believe the film is on course to hit N1 billion, a milestone that would make Abraham only the second Nigerian filmmaker to achieve such a box office record.
While these headline figures point to Nollywood’s growing commercial muscle, they also raise a critical question: how much of these billions actually end up with the producers like Akindele and Abraham?
Understanding producer earnings in Nollywood requires breaking down the box office revenue sharing model, which is less rigid than it is in global markets like Hollywood but follows a predictable structure based on industry practices.
Taxman’s cut
The process, according to industry knowledge, begins with the gross box office revenue – the total earnings from ticket sales.
From this, initial deductions are made for taxes, which, as of December 2025, stood at about 10 percent. This includes five percent value added tax (VAT) paid to the federal government and five percent entertainment tax to the state where the cinema operates.
For a film like ‘Oversabi Aunty’ projected to hit N1 billion in gross earnings, this would mean N100 million deducted upfront, leaving a net revenue of N900 million. Similarly, for ‘Behind the Scenes’ at a hypothetical N2 billion gross, taxes would claim N200 million, resulting in N1.8 billion net earnings.
Cinemas versus distributors
The net revenue is then shared between the exhibitors – cinema chains like Filmhouse, Nile, or Silverbird – and the distributors. According to industry practitioners, this sharing arrangement often follows a sliding scale designed to reward longer cinema runs.
Typically, net revenues are split evenly in the opening week, with 50 percent going to the distributor and 50 percent to the exhibitor. In the second week, the distributor’s share usually drops to 45 percent, while the cinema takes 55 percent. From the third week onward, distributors often receive about 40 percent, with exhibitors keeping 60 percent.
Over the full cinema run, this means distributors generally end up with around 40 percent – 45 percent of net box office revenue. For ‘Oversabi Aunty,’ this would translate to roughly N360 million– N405 million from the N900 million net. For ‘Behind the Scenes,’ the distributor’s take could fall between N720 million and N810 million out of N1.8 billion.
Distributors to producers
From the distributor’s portion, further deductions occur before the producer receives any money. Distributors typically retain a fee of 10 percent-15 percent, according to reports, for handling marketing, logistics, and distribution. An additional 10 percent withholding tax is often applied to the distributor’s earnings. After these, the remaining amount goes to the producer. This nets the producer approximately 30 percent-40 percent of the original gross box office profit, depending on the specifics of the deal.
Read also: Funke Akindele ‘Behind the Scenes’ becomes Nollywood’s fastest N1 billion film
It is worth noting that FilmOne Distributions served as the distributor for both films, securing their exhibition in cinemas nationwide.
For Abraham, as producer of ‘Oversabi Aunty,’ a N1 billion gross could translate to N300 million-400 million in her pocket. For Akindele with ‘Behind the Scenes’ at N2 billion, that would mean N600 million-800 million. These estimates assume standard agreements – actual figures can vary based on negotiations and film performance.
In many Nollywood cases, the producer may double as the distributor through self-distribution, eliminating the 10 percent-15 percent distributor fee. Producers like Iyabo Ojo handle distribution for her recent film ‘Labake Olododo.’ Both Akindele and Abraham have leveraged strong partnerships with distributors like FilmOne, which has helped amplify their reach nationwide.
High-profile talent, including actors, cinematographers, and directors, are usually paid from the producer’s budget upfront or through profit participation, but direct box office percentages for them are rare in Nollywood. Steady marketing through meet and greets at the cinema or viral social media skits could play a role in the agreement terms for actors involved in the movie promotions.
For Akindele, whose films have collectively grossed over N6 billion, and Abraham, nearing her N1 billion hit, these earnings represent not just financial wins but validation of their storytelling prowess.
