Nigerian filmmaker and actress Funke Akindele and film director Tunde Olaoye have emerged as the leading Nollywood directors at the Nigerian box office in 2025, with their films generating a combined ₦1.32 billion.

The ranking was disclosed by StatiSense, a Nigerian and African data and visualisation company, in a post on its X account on Wednesday.

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The figures were reportedly drawn from the Nigeria Box Office Yearbook, which tracks the performance of films released in the country.

Film producer and director Adebayo Tijani ranked second, with his films grossing ₦1.159 billion, while Tope Adebayo placed third with ₦852 million.

Yehi Morafa, popularly known as Film Boy, came fourth with ₦522 million, followed by actress and filmmaker Toyin Abraham-Ajeyemi, whose films generated ₦480 million.

Kayode Kasum ranked sixth with ₦422 million, while actor and filmmaker Muyiwa Ademola occupied seventh place with ₦419 million.

Biodun Stephen came eighth with ₦341 million, followed by director and cinematographer Adeoluwa Owu, whose films grossed ₦248 million.

Actor and filmmaker Daniel Etim Effiong completed the top 10 with ₦193 million.

According to StatiSense, films associated with the 10 directors generated at least ₦5.97 billion at the Nigerian box office in 2025.

One of Akindele’s notable projects in 2025 was Behind the Scenes, which she produced and released in cinemas on 12 December.

The drama follows Aderonke Faniran, a real estate entrepreneur played by Scarlet Gomez, as she navigates challenges in her personal and professional life.

The film continued Akindele’s strong performance in Nigerian cinemas.

In January, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Behind the Scenes had crossed the ₦2 billion mark, making it the first Nollywood production to reach that milestone.

Akindele also produced Finding Me, a film exploring love, personal growth and the challenge of maintaining balance.

Amazon Prime Video released the movie on its platform on 16 March 2025.

Her box office achievements build on earlier successes.

In 2023, Battle on Buka Street became one of Nollywood’s leading commercial releases, earning ₦640 million locally and more than $61,000 from cinema screenings in the United States.

In 2024, A Tribe Called Judah crossed ₦1 billion at the box office, while Everybody Loves Jenifa went on to gross ₦1.88 billion, setting a new West African box office record at the time.

Olaoye directed Singleness Is Bliss, produced by Fisayo Ajisola-Borokinni, while Abraham-Ajeyemi has directed projects including Oversabi Aunty, Street Genius and Monetised Marriage.

Effiong made his directorial debut with the crime thriller The Herd, which opened in Nigerian cinemas on 17 October 2025.

Ademola directed Orí Rebirth, a spiritual drama released on 1 May 2025.

Stephen’s film credits include the cinema releases Labake Olododo, Aso Ebi Diaries and Unclaimed, alongside productions released digitally and through YouTube.

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The ranking highlights the commercial reach of Nollywood productions in 2025, with the leading directors collectively accounting for billions of naira in reported cinema revenue.