West Africa’s cinema industry closed 2025 on a historic high, and Nollywood’s stars were firmly at the centre of that success.
With the regional box office hitting N15.6 billion in revenue and Nollywood narrowly edging Hollywood in market share, the year underscored not just the strength of local storytelling, but also the growing box office pull of leading Nigerian actors and actresses.
Across 2.79 million cinema admissions and 81 Nollywood releases, audiences consistently showed up for familiar faces who now double as powerful commercial drivers for the industry.
Against this backdrop, Nollywood’s Top 10 Highest Grossing Lead Actors and Actresses of 2025 reflect more than popularity; they represent bankability. From comedy and drama to action and family-friendly hits, these performers anchored films that crossed the N100 million mark and, in several cases, pushed well beyond it.
As ticket prices averaged N5,596 amid economic pressures, their ability to draw audiences speaks to a maturing market where star power, strong distribution, and quality production increasingly work hand in hand. This ranking captures the faces that helped define Nollywood’s box office year and cemented its near-equal footing with Hollywood in West Africa.
- The Herd, About Briggs, Summer Rain-N418M
Daniel Etim‑Effiong is a Nigerian actor, filmmaker, and writer known for his versatility and creative influence in Nollywood. Born in Kaduna and trained partly in filmmaking, Etim‑Effiong transitioned from chemical engineering to the screen in the early 2010s, appearing in web and TV series before breaking through with films such as Plan B (2019) and Òlòtūré (2019).
His 2025 credits include the crime thriller The Herd which he directed and starred in as well as performances in Something About The Briggs and Summer Rain, contributing to a combined box‑office gross of approximately N418M.
The Herd marked his directorial debut and premiered in October 2025, spotlighting his evolution from actor to filmmaker with a story rooted in suspense and human conflict. Across his body of work, Etim‑Effiong is celebrated for his natural acting style, emotional depth, and commitment to storytelling that reflects contemporary Nigerian life.
