Faith-based film Agbara Nla: The Return has made Nigerian box office history, becoming the highest-grossing October release of all time in the country’s cinemas, ahead of both Nollywood and Hollywood titles.
According to box office tracker Film Intelligence Digest, the film had earned ₦354.6 million by the weekend of 16–18 October 2026, putting it about ₦36.8 million ahead of the previous October record holder, Marvel’s Venom: The Last Dance, which grossed ₦317.8 million after its release in October 2024.
A Classic Returns to the Big Screen
Agbara Nla: The Return is a continuation of the classic 1993 Mount Zion film Agbara Nla, created by veteran Christian filmmaker Mike Bamiloye. The new film is directed by his sons, Damilola Mike-Bamiloye and Joshua “Jay Mikee” Mike-Bamiloye, and is distributed by Nile.
The film opened on 1 October 2026 and took ₦170.6 million in its first four days, according to figures from its distributor and production partners. Its success shows the strong pull of faith-based stories among Nigerian audiences, many of whom grew up watching Mount Zion’s films on VHS and television.
Still Leading the Box Office
Even in its third weekend, Agbara Nla remained the top film in Nigeria. It earned ₦47.2 million from 7,656 admissions over the 16–18 October weekend, about 31% of all box office takings, despite a 37% drop from the previous weekend.
It held off strong competition from new Hollywood release Street Fighter, which opened with ₦35.7 million across 71 locations. Other titles in the chart included Jailer 2, Other Mommy and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which has now passed ₦2.4 billion in Nigeria.
A Strong Year for Nollywood
The record adds to a strong year for Nigerian films in cinemas. Earlier in 2026, titles such as Call of My Life, Love and New Notes and The Return of Arinzo each earned hundreds of millions of naira, according to Comscore data. Naijasabi ranked Agbara Nla among the top Nollywood earners of the year.
Industry watchers say the film’s run proves that locally made stories with a loyal fan base can compete with, and beat, big-budget Hollywood productions in Nigerian cinemas.
What’s Next
With the busy December season approaching, when Nollywood traditionally releases its biggest titles, Agbara Nla’s record could be the start of an even bigger end-of-year box office run for Nigerian films.
Sources: Film Intelligence Digest, Naijasabi, Comscore via ShockNG. Image: Wikimedia Commons (file photo of a Lagos cinema).