Barbenheimer grossed a combined ₦56.6m in Nigerian cinemas during their first weekend
Nigerians spent ₦56.6 million last weekend seeing two blockbuster movies — #Barbie and #Oppenheimer. Popularly called Barbenheimer, they were released simultaneously on July 21, 2023. Barbie made 129% more than Oppenheimer in their first weekend.
Between 2013 and 2025, Nigeria has dominated the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), winning 8 out of 11 awards for Best Overall Movie.
Kenya, South Africa, and Ghana have each won the top prize once, highlighting Nigeria’s influence on African cinema.
This trend reflects both the scale and consistency of Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, which has outpaced its regional peers in terms of production volume, distribution, and local audience engagement.
While other countries show occasional excellence, Nigeria remains the cultural and commercial centre of African filmmaking.