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Nollywood has evolved into a billion-naira industry, with many actresses stepping behind the camera to produce films that have achieved remarkable commercial success. While numerous actresses have ventured into filmmaking, only a select few have produced films with publicly reported box office earnings running into hundreds of millions and, in some cases, billions of naira.

Here are five Nigerian actresses whose film productions have made a significant mark at the Nigerian box office.

1. Funke Akindele

Funke Akindele is widely regarded as Nigeria’s most successful filmmaker at the box office. The actress and producer has consistently broken cinema records with blockbuster productions that continue to redefine commercial success in Nollywood.

Her 2020 film Omo Ghetto: The Saga grossed more than N636 million, becoming the highest-grossing Nigerian film at the time. She later surpassed that feat with Battle on Buka Street, which earned over N668 million. In 2023, A Tribe Called Judah became the first Nollywood film to cross the ?1 billion mark before finishing its cinema run with more than N1.4 billion. She went on to break her own record with Everybody Loves Jenifa, while Behind the Scenes became the first Nigerian film to surpass N2 billion at the Nigerian box office.

2. Iyabo Ojo

Seasoned actress, filmmaker and entrepreneur Iyabo Ojo has steadily built a reputation as one of Nollywood’s successful actor-producers. Although she has been producing films for over two decades, she reached a new commercial milestone with her 2025 epic, Labake Olododo.

Produced by Iyabo Ojo and directed by Biodun Stephen, Labake Olododo enjoyed a successful theatrical run, grossing over N200 million at the Nigerian box office after a strong opening weekend. The film ranked among Nollywood’s highest-grossing releases of 2025, further cementing her reputation as a producer capable of delivering commercially successful cinema productions.

3. Toyin Abraham

Toyin Abraham has established herself as one of Nollywood’s leading filmmakers through a string of commercially successful productions.

She found success with the Alakada franchise and The Ghost and the Tout series, both of which recorded impressive performances in cinemas. Over the years, her productions have consistently ranked among Nollywood’s top box office performers, generating hundreds of millions of naira in ticket sales and reinforcing her reputation as one of Nigeria’s most commercially successful producers.

4. Omoni Oboli

Omoni Oboli has successfully combined acting, writing and filmmaking to build an impressive production career spanning several years.

Her Wives on Strike franchise became a fan favourite and enjoyed successful cinema runs, while The Uprising: Wives on Strike further strengthened her reputation as a commercially successful producer. Through these and other theatrical releases, Omoni Oboli has established herself as one of Nollywood’s respected filmmakers with a proven record of producing successful cinema titles.

5. Mercy Aigbe

Mercy Aigbe made a successful transition into cinema production with films that resonated with audiences across Nigeria.

Her debut cinema production, Ada Omo Daddy, grossed more than N200 million, making it one of her highest-grossing Nollywood films of 2023. She followed it with Thin Line, further strengthening her presence as a producer and proving she is among the new generation of actor-producers making a notable impact at the Nigerian box office.

As Nollywood continues to expand, these actresses have demonstrated that success in the industry extends beyond acting. Through strategic storytelling and commercially successful productions, they have helped shape the growth of Nigeria’s film industry while delivering some of its biggest box office hits.

Aggrieved lawmakers of the Ondo State House of Assembly have insisted that they will not back down from their move to remove the embattled Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji.

The lawmakers said Oladiji remained in office because the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state intervened in the crisis rocking the Assembly.

Oladiji is facing impeachment threats over allegations of mismanaging N44 million released by the Ondo State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC).

The Speaker, however, has described the campaign against him as politically motivated, rather than being driven by genuine concerns about his leadership of the Assembly.

The crisis reportedly followed the endorsement of an impeachment notice by 21 of the 26 lawmakers in the Assembly.

The lawmakers accused Oladiji of mishandling funds meant for the reordering of the OSOPADEC 2026 budget.

The lawmakers, who spoke on Wednesday during their parliamentary sitting after a prolonged months without sitting, said the impeachment plot of the embattled Speaker is still on course.

Addressing reporters shortly after their sitting, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon. Olatunji Ifabiyi revealed that the lawmakers were only awaiting the direct of the leadership of the APC if is to proceed with the plan.

Ifabiyi said that it was important for the leader of the party in the state, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene and mediate over the ongoing crisis in the state parliamentary house.

‘We are still waiting for the leadership of the party. We are unable to proceed further until the leadership of the party asks us to proceed. So it is pending. We are still on course,’ he said.

According to him, the executive arm of the government has no business in the issues of legislature but since all 26 lawmakers in the Assembly belongs to the APC, it was important to resolved the crisis.

He noted that the ruling party has been a platform for all members to unite and come together ro resolve all internal crisis without favouring any individual.

‘It is normal for the party to intervene because we are all members of the same family. The APC has total control of the Ondo State House of Assembly,’ the lawmaker said.

Fabiyi added, ‘Our father should call all his sons together to discuss whatever crisis has arisen so that it can be resolved. But our father will not prefer one person at the expense of the other 26 members.

‘It is our party, and the fact remains that we want to change the kind of leadership we currently have. There is no opposition among us; we all belong to the same political party. Our father will not prefer one person at the expense of 26 members. Our father will not do that.’

However, Hon. Fabiyi disclosed that the legislators have now constituted an audit committee to examine the Assembly’s financial records amid the financial racketeering rocking the leadership of the House.

He, however, said the House adjourned to reconvene in two weeks and directed all standing committees to resume their regular sittings and oversight functions.

The Coalition of Ijaw Youth (CIY) in the Niger Delta has urged Nigerians to support the ongoing digital transformation of the Federal Civil Service, warning against allowing recent developments surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) to distract from the government’s public sector reform agenda.

In a statement in Abuja, the coalition’s National President, Comrade Bedford Berefa Benjamin, said the digital transformation programme, spearheaded by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, was laying the foundation for a more transparent, efficient and accountable public service.

It said the deployment of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) System, GovMail, the 1-GOV Cloud Platform and other digital solutions had accelerated the Federal Civil Service’s transition to a paperless system, improving service delivery and reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

‘The transformation being championed by the Head of the Civil Service is redefining public administration by ensuring official records are digitally preserved, approvals are traceable, and accountability is strengthened,’ the statement said.

The group said the reforms had replaced cumbersome manual procedures with secure digital platforms for document management, preservation of institutional memory, transparency and faster decision-making.

According to the coalition, expanding digital governance across government institutions would also reduce administrative errors, strengthen internal controls, improve audit trails and enhance compliance with Public Service Rules.

It urged Nigerians to view the current reform efforts from the broader perspective of institutional transformation, arguing that technology-driven systems would provide stronger safeguards against procedural lapses associated with manual administration.

The coalition also commended initiatives aimed at strengthening merit-based career progression, capacity development, payroll integrity and knowledge management, describing them as critical to building a modern, efficient and responsive Civil Service.

It said institutional reform was a continuous process that should not be undermined by premature conclusions while administrative processes were still ongoing.

‘The ongoing digital transformation of the Federal Civil Service is one of the most ambitious governance reforms in Nigeria today. It deserves sustained support, consolidation and full implementation across government,’ the statement added.

The coalition called on the Federal Government to accelerate the nationwide rollout of digital governance initiatives, saying an integrated and paperless public service would promote transparency, improve efficiency, strengthen accountability and restore public confidence in government institutions.

It reaffirmed its support for reforms aimed at promoting institutional excellence, technology-driven governance and a Federal Civil Service capable of delivering efficient, transparent and citizen-centred services.

University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has deepened its global academic footprint with the signing of a landmark partnership agreement with Canada’s University of Waterloo and the securing of a fully funded Chinese Government PhD scholarship for one of its lecturers.

The twin milestones, university authorities said, are early dividends of the internationalisation agenda being driven by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ortuanya.

The latest breakthrough happened on Monday when Prof. Ortuanya received a four-member delegation from the University of Waterloo at the Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room in Nsukka, where both institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The agreement provides a framework for joint research, workers and student exchange programmes, capacity building and academic collaboration across strategic disciplines.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Ortuanya said the partnership was the product of strategic engagements he initiated shortly after assuming office as Vice Chancellor.

‘I was barely three months in office when I visited the University of Waterloo. I am happy that the journey I made is bearing fruits of partnership today,’ he said.

He described the agreement as a significant step towards positioning UNN as a globally-competitive institution.

‘By this agreement, we are telling the world that we are now one in research, innovation and partnership. Workers and students of UNN can now consider the University of Waterloo as an extension of their institution, and vice versa,’ he said.

According to him, the collaboration is in line with the university’s enduring mission of ‘To Restore the Dignity of Man’ by exposing its workers and students to world-class research, innovation and international academic opportunities.

Leader of the Canadian delegation, Mr. Grant Leach, hailed UNN’s leadership and vision, expressing confidence that the partnership would foster impactful research, innovation and mutually beneficial academic exchanges.

In another major boost to the university’s international engagement efforts, Mr. Henry Ugwu of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering has secured a fully funded Chinese Government scholarship to pursue a PhD in Computer Science and Technology at Hunan University, China.

The scholarship followed recent diplomatic engagements between Prof. Ortuanya and officials of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Abuja, where discussions centred on technology transfer, research collaboration and scholarship opportunities for UNN workers and students.

The university described the award as one of the first tangible outcomes of the Vice Chancellor’s engagement with Chinese authorities and a demonstration of the growing international confidence in the university.

The MoU signing ceremony was attended by principal officers of the university, senior academic officials and members of the visiting Canadian delegation.

There was jubilation in parts of Kwara State on Wednesday following reports that 176 residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area, who were abducted in February, had regained their freedom.

The development was captured in a video showing vehicles and motorcycles moving from Wawa in Niger State towards Woro, with residents heard chanting ‘Alhamdulillaah’ and ‘Oluwa se o’.

A resident who spoke in the video said the vehicles and motorcycles were coming from Wawa in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State and were believed to be heading towards Woro or Kaiama.

The victims were reportedly rescued by joint security forces on Wednesday.

The member representing Gwanabe/Gweria/Bani/Adena Constituency of Kaiama Local Government in the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saidu Baba Ahmed, confirmed the release.

‘Yes, the Woro kidnap victims have been released. I’m very, very excited about this development. We give thanks to President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and our security operatives,’ the lawmaker said.

A senior state government official also celebrated the reported development, saying, ‘Woro Kidnap Victims Regain Freedom. Alhamdulillaah and kudos to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, security forces, and everyone who played a role in this huge feat. We are grateful!’

The Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kwara State and Chairman of Kaiama Local Government, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Danladi, also confirmed the release.

Danladi said the victims were at the Wawa military cantonment in Niger State and were awaiting transportation to Kwara State.

‘Yes, it’s true that they have been released, and I can’t tell for now whether ransom was paid or not.

‘They are currently in Wawa military cantonment in Niger State, because our people are not the only victims released.

‘But the office of the Secretary to the State Government is currently arranging vehicles that will bring them to Ilorin.

‘So I thank Almighty God that their release happened in my time, and I’m very excited about this,’ he said.

However, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, said he was unaware of the reported release and could not confirm it.

‘I’m not aware, so I cannot confirm it. I made contact with Kaiama Local Government, but I still couldn’t get concrete information,’ he said.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates.

The examination body announced the release of the results on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, and advised candidates to check their results through the WAEC result portal at www.waecdirect.org.

Candidates who have misplaced their result checker details are advised to generate a new serial number and PIN through the WAEC portal before accessing their results.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Tope Ajayi, on Wednesday dismissed comments by former Cross River State Governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke, on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the former governor was ‘arguing against reality’ because of ‘bad politics.’

Ajayi’s reaction followed remarks by Duke during an interview on Arise Television in which he expressed doubts about the flagship infrastructure project, claiming it would not extend beyond Lagos State and adding it was a misplaced priority.

Responding in a post on his verified X handle, @TheTope_Ajayi, Ajayi said political considerations were pushing some opposition figures into making claims they neither believed nor could substantiate.

‘Politics makes a lot of people say loads of what they don’t mean or believe in. They just talk for the sake of talking or because of bad politics. There is actually no sense in arguing against reality’, he said.

The presidential aide also took a swipe at Duke’s political ambition, describing the Peoples Redemption Party as ‘an unviable political platform’, while accusing the former governor of joining critics of the coastal highway project without acknowledging developments already recorded on the ground.

According to Ajayi, contrary to Duke’s assertion that the highway would not progress beyond Epe in Lagos State, construction has already advanced into neighbouring Ogun State, while work is simultaneously ongoing on sections of the road in Ondo and Akwa Ibom states.

‘While Duke was talking on TV that the Coastal Highway won’t go beyond Epe, the project has reached Ogun State, and work is going on in the Ondo and Akwa-Ibom states sections of the Coastal road,’ Ajayi stated.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the signature infrastructure projects of the Tinubu administration, designed to link Nigeria’s coastal states through a major transport corridor aimed at boosting connectivity, trade and economic development.

The project has, however, attracted criticism from some opposition figures over its execution and feasibility, claims the Federal Government has consistently rejected.

The federal government has commenced recruitment into the Nigeria The Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) has called on qualified Nigerians to apply for available positions across its Superintendent, Inspectorate and Assistant cadres.

The recruitment exercise, which commenced on July 28, 2026, is scheduled to close on August 10, 2026. Shortlisted candidates will subsequently undergo a computer-based test and interview later in the month.

The Federal Character Commission disclosed this in a post on its official X handle on Wednesday, July 29, emphasising that the recruitment process is free of charge and that all applications must be submitted through the designated NAQS recruitment portal

See Step-By-Step How To Apply Below:

Interested applicants are required to:

Visit the official NAQS recruitment portal here

Create an account or log in to the portal.

Select their preferred cadre and position.

Complete the online application form with accurate personal and educational details.

Upload all required credentials and supporting documents.

Review the application carefully before submitting it online.

The agency warned that:

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Applications that do not follow the prescribed procedure will be disqualified.

Available Positions

Superintendent Cadre

Chief Superintendent of Quarantine Care (Veterinary Doctors)

Deputy Superintendent of Quarantine

Assistant Superintendent of Quarantine II

Inspectorate Cadre

Inspector of Quarantine I

Inspector of Quarantine II

Inspector of Quarantine III

Assistant Cadre

Quarantine Assistant I

Quarantine Assistant II

Quarantine Assistant III

Educational qualifications

Chief Superintendent of Quarantine Care

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree.

NYSC discharge or exemption certificate.

Deputy Superintendent of Quarantine

Degree in Law or a master’s degree in a relevant discipline.

NYSC discharge or exemption certificate.

Assistant Superintendent of Quarantine II

Minimum of a first degree from a recognised institution.

NYSC discharge certificate.

Inspectorate Cadre

Ordinary National Diploma (OND) or Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE).

Assistant Cadre

SSCE, NECO or GCE Ordinary Level certificate.

Minimum of five credits, including English Language and Mathematics.

Results obtained in not more than two sittings.

General Requirements

Applicants must:

Be Nigerian by birth.

Possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN).

Be medically fit and present a certificate of fitness from a government hospital.

Pass a drug test.

Be of good character with no criminal conviction.

Not belong to any secret cult or society.

Be free from financial embarrassment.

Be computer literate.

Physical Requirements

Male applicants must be at least 1.65 metres tall.

Male applicants must have a minimum chest measurement of 0.87 metres.

Female applicants must be at least 1.55 metres tall.

Who Should Not Apply

The agency advised that the following persons need not apply:

Individuals with severe speech impairment.

Individuals with hearing impairment.

Persons with total blindness.

Persons with obesity.

Persons with limb deformities.

Applicants with other specified physical deformities or medical conditions.

Pregnant women, due to the physical demands of the recruitment process.

Recruitment Timetable

Application opens: July 28, 2026.

Application closes: August 10, 2026.

Shortlisting of successful candidates: August 13, 2026.

Computer-Based Test (CBT) and interviews: August 15, 2026.

Agency’s Warning

The Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service urged applicants to:

Rely only on the official recruitment portal for authentic information.

Ignore anyone demanding payment for employment.

Note that the entire recruitment exercise is completely free.

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), has commended President Bola Tinubu for approving a significant salary increase for personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, describing the decision as a historic and timely intervention that underscores the administration’s commitment to national security.

Buratai, who commanded troops in the North-East and other theatres of operation during his tenure as Army Chief, said he understands firsthand the enormous sacrifices military personnel make daily in defence of the nation’s territorial integrity.

In a statement issued to journalists in Kaduna on Wednesday, the retired Army Chief described the salary review, which takes effect from September 1, 2026, as a well-deserved reward for the dedication, resilience and patriotism of the country’s gallant troops.

He noted that the structured increase of 30 per cent for senior officers, 50 per cent for mid-level officers and 80 per cent for junior personnel demonstrates strategic wisdom and a clear appreciation of the realities of military service.

According to Buratai, by granting the highest increment to junior personnel who constitute the frontline of military operations, President Tinubu has directly recognised those who bear the greatest burden in the fight against banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and other security threats.

He said the gesture would significantly boost the morale of the approximately 250,000 personnel of the Armed Forces and reinforce their determination to defend the country with greater commitment.

The former Army Chief also expressed satisfaction with the President’s resolve to modernise the military through the acquisition of cutting-edge technology, describing the move as a critical step towards enhancing the operational capacity of the Armed Forces.

He described the increase in the annual military salary bill from ?660 billion to ?924 billion as a bold investment in national security, saying it reflects an administration that understands that no nation can attain greatness without adequate security.

Buratai urged serving military personnel to reciprocate the government’s gesture with renewed dedication to duty, stressing that the improved welfare package should inspire greater professionalism, discipline and patriotism.

While acknowledging that the nation’s enemies remain relentless, he expressed confidence that with the Federal Government’s renewed support, the Armed Forces would remain resolute and undaunted in confronting the country’s security challenges.

The retired Army Chief commended President Tinubu for translating his appreciation of the nation’s military personnel into concrete policy, expressing optimism that the intervention would usher in a new era of enhanced operational effectiveness and greater victories for the Nigerian Armed Forces.