Key points
- Call of My Life has grossed more than N628 million at the West African box office.
- The romance drama is now the highest-grossing Nollywood film released in 2026.
- The film has remained number one at the box office for six consecutive weekends.
- Iwe Àlà (An Ojúde Ọba Story) placed second at the weekend box office with N43 million in ticket sales.
- Both films continue to attract strong cinema audiences, highlighting growing demand for locally produced content.
Main story
Nollywood’s strong run at the box office continued over the weekend as Call of My Life extended its record-breaking performance while Iwe Àlà (An Ojúde Ọba Story) maintained momentum with a solid showing in cinemas nationwide.
FilmOne Entertainment announced that Call of My Life has now grossed more than N628 million at the West African box office, making it the highest-grossing Nollywood release of 2026 so far.
The romance drama has also achieved a milestone by becoming the first Nollywood film released outside the lucrative December holiday season to surpass N600 million in ticket sales. Its sustained performance has kept it at the top of the box office for six consecutive weekends, underscoring strong audience demand and positive word-of-mouth.
The latest figures also place the film among Nollywood’s biggest commercial successes, with FilmOne describing it as the seventh highest-grossing Nigerian film ever released in the West African market.
Meanwhile, Iwe Àlà (An Ojúde Ọba Story) continued its impressive theatrical run, earning N43 million over the weekend to secure second place at the box office.
The culturally themed drama, inspired by the celebrated Ojúde Ọba festival, has continued to attract audiences interested in indigenous storytelling and culturally rooted narratives. Industry observers say its performance demonstrates that films centred on local traditions and heritage can achieve strong commercial success when paired with quality production and effective distribution.
The success of both films comes amid a broader resurgence in cinema attendance for Nigerian productions, with audiences increasingly embracing local stories across genres ranging from romance and family dramas to cultural epics and historical narratives.
Industry stakeholders believe the sustained box office performance of locally produced films reflects growing confidence in Nollywood’s storytelling quality, production standards and ability to compete for audience attention in an increasingly crowded entertainment market.
The issues
Nollywood has historically relied heavily on the December festive period to generate blockbuster box office returns. The success of Call of My Life outside that traditional window suggests the industry may be developing stronger year-round commercial viability.
At the same time, the performance of Iwe Àlà highlights the growing market for films rooted in Nigerian culture and identity. As streaming platforms and cinemas compete for audiences, culturally relevant stories are increasingly being viewed as valuable commercial assets rather than niche productions.
The success of both films also reinforces the importance of cinema distribution in an era where many productions move quickly to streaming platforms after release.
What’s being said
“Call of My Life just crossed a massive N628m at the box office and the records keep coming. Thank you West Africa for this incredible milestone.” — FilmOne Entertainment
“Thank you Nigeria for showing up for Iwé Àlà (An Ojude Oba Story) and reminding us why we do this and tell stories like this. We’re just getting started.” — Distributor of Iwe Àlà
“The drama, the culture and the family ties that cut deep, it’s all playing out on the big screen. Come experience it for yourself.” — Distributor of Iwe Àlà
What’s next
Both films remain in cinemas and are expected to continue competing for audience attention in the coming weeks. Industry watchers will be monitoring whether Call of My Life can climb further up the all-time Nollywood box office rankings, while Iwe Àlà will be looking to build on its early momentum and extend its theatrical run.
The performance of the two films is also likely to influence future investment decisions, particularly around romance dramas and culturally themed productions.
Bottom line
The strong performances of Call of My Life and Iwe Àlà suggest that Nigerian audiences are increasingly willing to support locally produced films when they offer compelling storytelling and strong production quality. For Nollywood, the success of both titles is further evidence that homegrown stories can deliver both cultural impact and commercial returns.
