28 award categories were announced. New award categories are Best Indigenous Language (North Africa) and Best Indigenous Language (Central Africa), expanding the scope of regional representation.

The main awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in May 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria.

Here鈥檚 the full list of AMVCA 2026 nominees:

BEST DIGITAL CONTENT CREATOR

“Dr Judgina 鈥� Situationally Transmitted Delusion” 鈥� Elozonam Ogbolu and Genoveva Umeh

“The Marriage List” – Destiny Ogie Osarewinda

“Leave To Live” – Emmanuel Kanaga and Sophia Chisom

“The Rate Race” – Benedict Ehimare Oriaifo

“Luxury Koko” – Maryam Apaokagi-Greene (Taaoma)

“August Meeting Election” – Steve Chuks

“Did I Just Hear Muah” – Akwaman

BEST SCRIPTED MNET ORIGINALS

“Adam to Eve” – Lizz Njagah and Alexandros Konstantaras

“Mother of the Brides” – Rogba Arimoro and Bio Arimoro

“The Yard” – James Kalu Omokwe

“The Low Priest” – Femi D. Ogunsanwo

“Bobo” – Maurice Muendo

BEST INDIGINEOUS MNET ORIGINALS

“Inimba” – Siphosethu Tshapu , Thandi Ramathesele and Yolanda Ndhlovu

“Kukoyi” – David Akande

“Undugu” – Hatibu Madudu

“Out N’ About (Harar)” – Bruk Yibrah

“Kamapala Creme” – Joel Ndugwa

“The Chocolate Empire” – Grace Kahaki and Phillippe Bresson

“Mgbuka” – Eze Izu

BEST USCRIPTED MNET ORIGINALS

“Nigerian Idol (Season 10)” – Suleiman Kassim and Anneke De Ridder

“Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa” – Graeme Swanepoel and Jemma Ford

“Chappa Chappa My Love” – Ercilla Justino, Jojo Almeida and Gabriela Ueno

“Out N’ About” – Bruk Yibrah

“Undugu” – Hatibu Madudu

BEST SHORT FILM

“Rise” – Jessie J. Rowlands

“Fleas” – Jordy Sank

“Telephone” – Fimisinuola Adejonwo

“Hussainin” – Orire Nwani, Josh Olaoluwa

“My Body, God’s Temple” – Uzoamaka Power

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (WEST AFRICA)

“The Serpent’s Gift” – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi

“Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” – Lateef Adedimeji

“Labake Olododo” – Alice Iyabo Ojo, Olukanmi Abayomi, Aalaba Onaolapo, Kene Okwuosa, Ladun Awobokun

“Aljana” – Grace Yachat Yakubu

“Olorisha” – Abiola Adeshina

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (EAST AFRICA)

“Inside Job” – Kamau Wandug’u, Joe Mahinda, Barbara Njeri Maina

“Sayari” – Omar Hamza, June Wairegi

“Addis Fikir” – Leul Shoaferaw

“My Son” – Isarito Mwakalindile

“Kimote” – Hassan Mageye

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS ( SOUTHERN AFRICA)

“Bet I Love You” – Joseph Duke, Keamogetse Modise

“Sebata (The Beast) – African Entertainers

“Ben Made It” – Thabang Mathuumetse, Thapelo Dikhutso

“Terra of Queens and Kuma 2” – Neo Leonardo Mokoena

“Tlhaho Ya Mosadi” – Naledi Galane, Promise Ramoroka, Ernest Ramoroka, Modipadi Mokgohioa

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (NORTH AFRICA)

“The Omnipresent” – Youssef Ben Khalifa

“The Delivery” – Abdalla Ezyan

“The Hidden Voice” – Houssem Eddine Abdelwahed

“This is Portsaid” – Abdalla Ezyan

“Artal Alhanin: Our Memories” – Mohamed Awad and Mohamed Abdulraham Eldouma

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS (CENTRAL AFRICA)

“Mabanda” – Kang Quintus

“Safou (A Gift From Nature)” – Nyasha Makamba

“Golden Spoon” – Egbe Francis Ettabrown

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

“The Yard” – Simileoluwa Hassan

“Gingerrr” – Lateef Adedemeji

“Colours of Fire” – Gabriel Afolayan

“To Kill a Monkey” – Bucci Franklin

“Agesinkole (King Of Thieves) 2” – Femi Adebayo

“Red Circle” – Lateef Adedimeji

“Owabbe Thieves” – Femi Branch

“Behind the Scenes” – Uzor Arukwe

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

“The Herd” – Linda Ejiofor

“Oversabi Aunty” – Olamide Kidbaby

“Gingerrr” – Bisola Aiyeola

“The Covenant Series” – Sola Sobowale

“Aljana” – Nadia Dutch

“The Herd” – Amal Umar

“MTV Shuga Mashariki” – Juliebrenda Nyambura

“Behind the Scenes” – Funke Ayotunde Akindele

BEST LEAD ACTOR

“Oversabi Aunty” – Mike Ezuruonye

“Lisabi (A Legend is Born)” – Lateef Adedimeji

“To Kill a Monkey” – William Benson

“Grandpa Must Obey” – Kanaya O. Kanayo

“Bet I Love You” – Khumbuza Meyiwa

“Colours of Fire” – Uzor Arukwe

“3 Cold Dishes” – Wale Ojo

“Red Circle” – Femi Branch

BEST LEAD ACTRESS

“The Serpent’s Gift” – Linda Ejiofor

“To Kill a Monkey” – Bimbo Akintola

“The Lost Days” – Ifeoma Fafunwa

“Something About The Briggs” – Ariyike Owolagba

“Her Excellency” – Sola Sobowale

“Behind the Scenes” – Scarlet Gomez

“The Herd” – Genoveva Umeh

“Mother of the Brides” – Gloria Anozie-Young

BEST ART DIRECTION

“The Serpent’s Gift” – Zainab Oladupupo

“The Herd” – Omolade Abisola

“Colours of Fire” – Ajamolaya Bunmi

“Aljana”- Olatunji Afolayan, Gideon Stephen

“Suky” – Victor Akpan

“Inimba” – Thabiso Senne

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“My Father’s Shadow” – Jermaine Edwards

“To Kill A Monkey” – Kabelo Thathe

“The Herd” – Emmanuel Igbekele

“Finding Nina” – Daanong Gyang

“The Serpent’s Gift” – Emmanuel Igbekele

“Stitches” – KC Obiajulu

“Gingerr” – Emmanuel Igbekele

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

“The Serpent’s gift” – Mary Chukuma

“The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3)” – Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade

“Colours of Fire” – Valerie Okeke

Something About The Briggs” – Yolanda Okereke

“To Kill a Monkey” – Ikechukwu Urum, John Joseph Angel

BEST MAKEUP

“Behind the scenes” – Mojisola Imam

“Lisabi (A Legend Is Born)” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye

“Gingerr” – Diablaq Artistry

“Abanisete” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye

“Warlord” – Hakeem Onilogbo (Hakeem Effect)

“Suky” – Ruth Harcourt

“Labake Olododo” – Adeola Thelma Bamgboye

BEST SOUND/SOUND DESIGN

“My Father’s Shadow” – Pius Fatoke, CJ Mirra

“Gingerrr” – Tolu Obanro

“Ben Made It” – Vaughan Phillips

“The Party” – Tolu Obanro

“Sebata (The Beast)” – Vaughan Phillips

“The Herd” – Fisayo Adefolaju

BEST SCORE MUSIC

“My Father’s Shadow” – Duval Timothy, CJ Mirra

“3 Cold Dishes” – Nissi Ogulu

“Osamede” – Chubb Okobah

“Gingerrr” – Tolu Obanro

“The Party” – Tolu Obanro

“MTV Shuga Mashariki” – Sofresh

“To Kill a Monkey” – Oscar Heman-Ackah

BEST EDITING

“Cordelia” – Kazeem Agboola

“My Father’s Shadow” – Omar Guzman Castro

“Landline” – Nwanguma Peter Chidebere, Dele Doherty

“3 Cold Dishes” – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi

“Osamede” – Winston AIG-Ohioma

“To Kill a Monkey” – Daniel Anyiam

BEST WRITING (MOVIE)

“The Herd” – Lani Aisida

“My Father’s Shadow” – Wale Davies

“Blackout” – Ikenna Okpara

“Cards on the Table” – Shirleen Wangari

“Gingerrr” – Xavier Ighorodje

“Suky” – Isaac Ayodeji”

“3 Cold Dishes” – Tomi Adesina

BEST WRITING (TV SERIES)

“The Wives” – Donald Tombia, Timendu Aghahowa, Chiemeka Osuagwu

“MTV Shuga Masahariki” – Annette Shadeya, Natasha Likimani, Mkamzee Mwatela, Arnold Mwanjila, Makgano Mamabolo

“Our Husband” – Xavier Ighorodje

“Addis Fikir” – Besufekade Mulu

“Baba OH” – Temilola Balogun

“The Party” – Stephen Okonkwo

“Gizat” – Yednekachew Ayne

BEST DOCUMENTARY

“Beyond Olympic Glory” – Shedrack Salami

“The Good x The Bad of Afrobeat” – Louis Ejiofor

“The People Shall” – Mark Maina, Nick Wambugu

“Not Adressing This Anymore” – Huzzain Bello

“BOU” – Mwaka Gerald Remmy

BEST SERIES (SCRIPTED)

“To Kill a Monkey” – Kemi Adetiba

“The Yard” – James Kalu Omokwe

“The Chocolate Empire” – Grace Kahaki, Philippe Bresson

“Inimba” – Siphosethu Tshapu, Thandi Ramathesele, Yolanda Ndhlovu

“Kash Money” – Grace Khaki, Phillipe Benson

BEST SERIES (UNSCRIPTED)

“The Real Housewives of Lagos (S3)” – Deola Art Alade, Darey Art Alade

“Nigerian Idol (S10)” – Sulaiman Kassim, Anneke De Ridder

“Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa” – Graeme Swanepoel

“Off Air” – Gbemi and Toolz

“Out N’ About” – Bruk Yibrah

BEST DIRECTOR

“My Father’s Shadow” – Akinola Davies JR

“Cordelia” – Tunde Kelani

“Osamede” – James Kaluu Omokwe

“The Herd” – Daniel Etim Effiong

“Gingerrr” – Yemi Filmboy Morafa

“3 Cold Dishes” – Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi

BEST MOVIE

“Gingerrr” – Ope Ajayi, Bisola Aiyeola, Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, Wumi Toriola, Bolaji Ogunmola, Onyeka Nnama

“The Herd” – Daniel Etim Effiong, Efe Ejukoriem, Ulogo Chukwudi, Kene Okwuosa, Craig Shurn, Ladun Awobokun

“My Father’s Shadow” – Funmbi Ogunbanwo, Rachel Dargavel

“3 Cold Dishes” – Martial Dansou, Asurf Amuwa Oluseyi, Ly Oumar

“The Serpent’s Gift” – Winifred Mena-Ajakpovi

“Behind the Scenes” – Funke Ayotunde Akindele, Wendy Uwadie Imaseun

SurgePay today announced its official launch as 鈥�The Complete Money Platform for Global Africans鈥�, the only integrated solution enabling users to receive, hold, send, and spend money across borders without the friction, fees, and delays that characterize traditional finance. SurgePay鈥檚 guiding principle is simple: 鈥淢oney should just work.鈥� The one money platform eliminates the need for multiple fragmented solutions, consolidating all international money needs into one seamless experience.

The timely advent of SurgePay directly addresses the $95 billion African remittance market and serves three core user segments: global earners (freelancers, remote workers earning foreign currency), diaspora supporters (Africans abroad funding family operations back home), and cross-border professionals (traders and entrepreneurs operating across multiple African markets). Current market data indicates over 4.8 million Nigerians alone earn in foreign currency, while an estimated 40 million strong diaspora population actively supports family and business interests across the continent.

Key Features:

鈥� Multi-currency support (7+ currencies, expanding to 10 supported countries)

鈥� Stablecoin-to-Naira conversions, eliminating P2P trust risks

鈥� Bank-grade encryption and security protocols

鈥� Sub-1-minute transfer times

鈥� No hidden fees; transparent pricing displayed upfront

鈥� Local withdrawal access in supported markets

鈥� Intuitive interface designed for varying technical literacy levels

鈥淲hen money moves freely, opportunity flows freely.鈥�

鈥淓very time someone uses SurgePay, a freelancer keeps more of what they earn. A family receives support faster and with less cost. A business operates more efficiently across borders,鈥� said Abiola E. Ekotson, spokesperson of SurgePay.

The African fintech landscape is fragmented. Users currently cobble together multiple applications; one for remittances, another for holding USD, a third for payments. SurgePay eliminates this friction by consolidating the complete money experience into a single, unified platform, thereby enabling users to manage all their money needs in one place with consistent, seamless experience. The addressable market includes 5 million Africans earning foreign currency, 2 million active cross-border business operators, and over 1 million diaspora members across major global hubs.

About SurgePay

SurgePay is a stablecoin-first, borderless money platform designed to simplify cross-border finance. By combining USD-denominated stablecoins with local African on- and off-ramps, SurgePay enables Africans and the global diaspora to earn, save, send, convert, and spend money instantly, avoiding the delays and friction of traditional banking.

The platform bridges global digital-dollar infrastructure with local financial systems, delivering fast, transparent, and reliable money movement across borders.

SurgePay is backed by the Stellar Community Foundation and Base, reinforcing its commitment to compliant, blockchain-powered financial infrastructure for emerging markets.

Learn more at surgepay.tech.

Media Contact:  

Abiola E. Ekotson,

Communications SurgePay  

media@surgepay.com  

+234 816-357-8396

From romance and comedy to psychological thrillers and historical epics, Nollywood has dipped its toes into most genres. But there’s one that it avoids like the plague.

Sci-fi.

And it’s clear why. Most sci-fi movies require large budgets for computer-generated imagery. And in Nigeria’s economy, no movie studio is willing to fork over the cash needed to rival franchises like and because there’s no guarantee they’ll make that money back, much less a profit. However, a couple of Nigerian filmmakers have tried their hands at the genre to varying levels of success. Here are 5 Nollywood sci-fi movies you probably had no idea exist.

1) Kajola (2009)

Director: Niyi Akinmolayan

Long before he started making waves at the box office with hits like The Wedding Party 2 and Elevator Baby, Niyi Akinmolayan set to make his debut feature film, a sci-fi epic named Kajola. Set in 2059, the movie tells the story of a dystopian future where a civil war has left Lagos in ruins, causing the elite to create a new society and government for themselves on the the island and leaving everyone on the ravaged mainland to fend for themselves in a Mad Max-style wasteland. When a young man named Allen gets wind of the elite’s plan to destroy what’s left of the mainland along with the people and rebuild, he serves John Connor realness and starts a rebellion.

I remember seeing the trailer for this in 2009 and being so hyped. Sure, the CGI was..one kind and the acting left a lot to be desired (I’m looking at you, Desmond Elliot), but it was something different from what Nollywood was churning out at the time. So imagine my disappointment when the reviews hit and critics reported that the movie was a mess of storytelling and wildly underdeveloped special effects. Cinema attendees rioted and hit the box office booths to get their money back. Then then they took to social media to voice their displeasure.

The movie got pulled from cinema two days after it premiered, and is pretty much lost media at this point. The trailer is still available to watch though.

2) (2018)

Director: CJ “Fiery” Obasi

Hello Rain is about three sisters, Rain (Keira Hewatch), Philo (Tunde Aladese), and Coco (Ogee Nelson), who use a unique mix of juju and science to create wigs that give them supernatural powers. At first, they use their new found abilities to gag the general public by serving astronomical levels of cunt. But Coco and Philo soon become power-drunk and start causing serious problems, leaving Rain 鈥� the only one with her wig on straight (see what I did there? lmao) 鈥� to stop her gworls.

Hello Rain very much gives the vibes, so I assumed it was inspired by that film. It turns out it’s actually based on a short story by Nnedi Okorafor titled Hello, Moto. The more you know. CJ, if you’re reading this, I need a feature length version of this one day.

3) Day of Destiny (2021)

Directors: Akay Mason and Abosi Ogba

Chidi and Rotimi (Olumide Oworu and Denola Grey, respectively) are brothers who are distraught because their family is suddenly poor as shit and has to move out of their house. During the road trip to their newer and more humble abode, Chidi and Rotimi encounter a mysterious man who claims he can send them back in time to change their financial fate. They agree and get sent 20 years into the past, thinking it鈥檒l be a cakewalk. However, these two clearly never saw the 2004 movie The Butterfly Effect and proceed to tamper with time so carelessly that they undo the circumstances that are supposed to lead to their births. Now they have to race against time to fix things before they cease to exist.

Day of Destiny tries to reheat the nachos of the first Back to the Future movie but fails in a lot of areas. The movie stumbles over its own time travel rules, the costumes and set design don’t align with the time period they’re supposed to be in, and the two leads aren’t convincing as teenagers (both actors were already in their 30s at the time). It does have some fun moments, though. For example, when they land in the year 2000 and immediately run into the plantashun boiz pre-fame, freestyling in the street.

4) Ratnik (2020)

Director: Dimeji Ajibola

Sarah Bello (Osas Ighodaro), a frontline soldier in World War 3, returns from the war to find her home, which was already shitty when she left due to war, in absolute chaos. Due to extended exposure to a dangerous chamical, Sarah’s sister, Angela (Meg Otanwa) is about to morph into one of the backup dancers from Michael Jackson’s Thriller (i.e. the undead). Now Sarah must race against time in a new kind of war, confronting advanced war machines and deadly threats to save her sister鈥檚 life and restore some semblance of order.

I’m going to be honest with you, this was a tough watch. The CGI is rough, the costumes are rougher, and the fight scenes are truly mesmerising (derogatory). On top of all that, you have Osas Ighodaro, who isn’t exactly Meryl Streep, as the lead.

5) The Day They Came (2014)

Director: Genesis Williams

The Day They Came is a pretty short film. A guy steps out of house to smoke a cigarette and witnesses the beginning of an alien invasion. That’s it. It was directed by Genesis Williams, a student of Niyi Akinmolayan, director Kajola of the first movie on this list. It’s way better than Kajola though due to its small scale.

Best Nollywood Movies YouTube (January 2026)

10. (2026)

Running time: 1h 49m

Director: Uduak-Obong Patrick

Genre: Romance

Love At First Lie follows Daniel Kingsley (Eso Dike), a businessman pretending to be richer than he is, and Amara Okorie (Omowunmi Dada), a woman struggling to stay afloat. A lie brings them together and turns into a relationship that starts out fake but slowly becomes real. As the truth about both their situations come out, they are forced to choose between holding on to the lie or being honest and risking everything, including their feelings for each other. The film explores themes of class, pride, emotional survival, and whether love can truly exist when it begins in deception.

9) (2026)

Running Time: 2h 4m

Director: Tobi Makinde

Genre: Drama

When Dayo鈥檚 (Maurice Sam) father dies suddenly, he鈥檚 forced to fight tooth and nail to keep his inheritance from his scheming stepmother, Nneka (Uche Jumbo), and stepbrother, Ike (Martins Ibikunle). Blood War puts a twist on the regular story of people having to fight elder relatives from the village for their inheritance by making the conflict between a stepmother and stepson. almost like a gender-swapped Cinderella story.

8) (2025)

Running Time: 2h 26m

Director: Great Val Edochie

Genre: Romance

Where Love Lives follows Deadi (Bimbo Ademoye) and her husband (Uzor Arukwe) as they move from a modest Alaba life into an upscale Lagos estate to mark their second anniversary. The upgrade exposes them to class tension, gossip, and pressure over their childless marriage, especially from flashy neighbours and intrusive relatives. With figures like Osas Ighodaro and Chioma Nwosu adding social friction, the couple must decide whether love can survive image, judgement, and expectations.

7) (2026)

Runtime: 1h 41m

Director: Olowojaiye Michael

Genre: Drama

Beyond Forever is a drama about how love is tested by time, distance and difficult decisions. The story centres on Adaobi (Sandra Okunzuwa), a devoted partner whose relationship with Tunde (Daniel Etim Effiong) faces intense strain when life forces them apart and demands painful sacrifices. Their already fragile connection is complicated further by Grace (Audrey Harrison), whose presence introduces emotional tension and challenges the couple鈥檚 faith in each other.

Watch on YouTube.

6) (2026)

Runtime: 1h 57m

Director: Gabriel Okoroji Sirkome

Genre: Comedy

Circle of Wives follows the implosion of a family when a man presumed dead returns home, shattering the life of his first wife (Bimbo Ademoye) after she discovers he married another woman during his absence (Uche Montana). Shock quickly gives way to rivalry, secrets, and emotional warfare as more women connected to him emerge, each insisting on their place in his life. The film explores love, betrayal, and the chaos that unfolds when competing loyalties and hidden relationships are dragged into the open, forcing everyone involved to face the cost of their choices.

5) (2026)

Runtime: 1h 48m

Director: Barnabas Benjamin

Genre: Drama

Behind Her Smile follows Ada (Luchy Donalds), a young woman whose cheerful exterior hides deep emotional pain after the death of her father. Taken in by a woman she believes she can trust, Ada鈥檚 life slowly unravels as care turns into cruelty, manipulation, and betrayal. The film explores how abuse, silence, and misplaced trust can exist behind even the brightest smile.

4) (2026)

Runtime: 2h 50m

Director: Nichobuagu Peters

Genre: Supernatural Drama

Almost Rich follows a humble shoemaker anmed Jidenna (Stephen Odimgbe) whose life takes an unexpected turn after a supernatural encounter grants him a chance at wealth, leading to tests of love, loyalty and the challenges that come with sudden changes in fortune.

3) (2026)

Runtime: 2h 6m

Director: Simon Emeka

Genre: Drama

Uju鈥檚 War tells the story of a newlywed Uju (Sonia Uche) whose marriage to Benjamin (Bryan Okwara) hits trouble almost immediately when her mother-in-law (Chioma Nwosu) arrives unannounced and refuses to leave. What begins as minor disagreements over household routines (like who cooks and how things should be done) rapidly escalates into constant conflict and psychological tension in the home, turning everyday life into a battlefield between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.

2) (2025)

Runtime: 2h 20m

Director: Jide JBlaze Oyegbile

Genre: Romance

Brown Sugar follows Magaret (Tina Mba) a 60-year-old executive as she fights the deepest battle of her life: a deep and unexpected crush on her 29-year-old intern, Tobi (Eronini Osinachi). As office whispers turn to full-blown scandal and her daughter rejects the relationship entirely, she must make a decision: choose love, or everything she’s worked for.

1) (2025)

Runtime: 2h 6m

Director: Esther Akapo

Genre: Drama

A young man whose sister鈥檚 overbearing love life interference threatens his relationship with the woman he truly cares about, Ivie. As his sister鈥檚 actions repeatedly undermine his chances at happiness, he must find a way to balance family loyalty and his own heart鈥檚 desires, learning that love sometimes demands boundary, sacrifice and tough choices.

ALSO READ: 20 Things We Predict Will Happen in Nigerian Pop Culture in 2026

1) Omoni Oboli will release a third Love in Every Word movie.

After the first movie’s inexplicable success, Omoni Oboli gave the people what they wanted with a sequel titled, Love in Every Word: The Wedding, released seven months after the original, to just as much fanfare. However, the sequel only covered the main couple’s traditional wedding, with the last scene showing the two leads shopping for a wedding dress. Which is why I predict a third movie probably titled, Love in Every Word: The White Wedding will be released on the 14th of February 2026 to capitalise on the holiday of love.

It’ll be just as underwhelming and product-placement-filled as the others.

2) Other YouTube Nollywood channels will try to ride on the coattails of Love in Every Word’s success.

YouTube Nollywood is about to give a run for their money with a dizzying flurry of titles like, Love in That Word, Love in One Word, Love Beyond Words, Love Beneath Words, Love is your Word, Oh Word? Love, Love is Our Word: A Communist’s Love Agenda…

3) Asake will shock everyone by keeping his current look.

Asake has spent his entire career serving us one jarring look after another. So in October 2025, when he showed up with this clean-shaven look, people were less surprised that he was debuting yet another face and more about his shaved head. Some people that he’s having an identity crisis while others said he was simply taking advantage of being able to afford to look however he wants. Whatever the reason, I predict he’s going to gag us all by keeping this look for at least the next two years.

4) There will be an insane number of Nollywood romance movies with age gap relationships.

When the time comes, remember we did it .

5) Avengers Doomsday will gag everyone as usual.

Rumours that large portions of the cast don鈥檛 understand the movie鈥檚 direction or plot due to them only acting alongside test dummies on green-screen soundstages have caused comic book movie fans to assume the movie is going to be a disaster. And while I get the panic, I need everyone to relax and unclench. The truth is all the other Avengers movies were filmed in this admittedly chaotic way, held been held together by CGI, nostalgia, and cameos. The difference between then and now is how much harder it鈥檚 gotten to prevent set leaks.

6) More Nigerians will feature AI “artists”.

Ai “artists” are charting, racking up hundreds of thousands of streams, and even getting official from established stars. More Nigerian artists are going to it in 2026, and many people won鈥檛 be happy about it. The real gag is most people won鈥檛 even notice. And those that notice, won’t care.

7) One Nollywood titan will hold the Nigerian December box office hostage, and everyone else in the space will be so fucking mad about it.

At this point, the rivalry over who the Monarch of Nollywood is (specifically in December) deserves its own Empire-style TV show. We could name it Heated Rivalry…

8) Charles Okpakele (Charles of Play), the producer behind Nollywood remakes like Living in Bondage: Breaking Free and Nneka the Pretty Serpernt (2020) will announce that he’s gotten his hands on the rights for yet another Nollywood classic scheduled to be released in 2027.

If it ends up being Diamond Ring, I will jump out of a window.

9) Burna Boy won’t release a new album.

Maybe he’ll realise that churning out albums almost every year is draining his creative juices, or his team will force him to stay out of the public eye after the consequences of his bad behaviour over the years finally caught up to him and started affecting his money. Either way, we’re not getting new music from Burna. And that’s not a bad thing.

10) Wizkid’s son, Boluwatife Balogun, will drop a surprise album.

Fourteen-year-old Boluwatife, stage-named Champz, dropped his debut EP, Champion’s Arrival, in 2025. It debuted at #1 on Apple Music Nigeria, racked up over a million streams on Spotify in 24 hours, and forced me to grapple with my own mortality as the thought of Wizkid having a 14-year-old sent me into a spiral. With that kind of success, he’ll drop a full album this year. Because what else is he doing?

11) Idris Elba will change his mind regarding the upcoming Things Fall Apart TV adaptation.

When A24 announced in 2024 that they’d acquired the rights to Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” with plans to have Idris Elba play Okonkwo (the book’s protagonist) in a TV adaptation, Nigerian Twitter lost its collective shit. I predict he’s going to deem all of the backlash that’ll follow his performance not worth it, turn down the starring role but stay on as an executive producer.

12) At least two popular juice brands will needlessly revamp their packaging, causing the drinks to look more like body wash.

Someone will mistakenly take a shower with yoghurt and then tweet about it, triggering yet another online conversation about if branding has gotten worse over the years or if people are just foolish.

13) People will figure out exactly one year late too late that Starz released a new season of Spartacus in December 2025.

I think it’s hilarious that the tagline for every season has been some variation of “Return to the arena”.

14) During the hottest months of the year (January, February, March, and April), whatever company handling electricity where you live will find some bullshit reason for there to not be power.

It’ll either be a repair they could’ve done at any point in the last year but have decided to do now and will last three months for some reason.

15) Due to the growing popularity of raves, more Nigerian party organisers will start putting 鈥渞ave鈥� in their titles.

Shine your eye so you don’t end up at a “rave” with tables and a hypeman.

16) The Real Housewives of Lagos cast will get a shakeup.

Diadem won’t return because she’s too sweet for this reality show life. Caroline won’t return because she’s too insane for this reality show life. Chioma might return. Mariam and Laura will return in Avengers Doomsday.

17) Beyonce will release Act III and to everyone’s dismay, it won’t be a rock album.

It’ll be a gospel album. Turns out she heard all of you confidently yapping about the rock album and decided to pivot. Yes, not only is the rock album not coming, it’s your fault.

18) Beyonce WILL release a rock album, and it will feature composer extraordinaire, Stanley Okorie.

Forget what I said in the entry before this. I was a different man back then. The album鈥檚 opening track will be a duet, with them recording a new version of the official theme song from Karishika. Here’s the original so you get a taste of how perfect this is going to be:

19) Instagram is going to wait till you’re used to where everything currently is then shuffle things again.

Instagram’s internal design team just be doing anything to justify keeping their jobs.

20) Young, Famous, and African will return for a fourth season. So will Queen Annie Macaulay.

Let’s be honest. Annie has carried this show on her back with drama for three season. And because the producers are messy as hell (as they should be), they’re going to try to get 2Face and Honourable Natasha on the show somehow. Queen Khanyi Mbau, if you’re reading this, please return to us. We miss you.

From romcoms and dramas to thrillers and 600 epic movies, Nollywood chose range in 2025 and kinda snapped tbh. Some movies were terrible, some were just fine, and others had tongues positively wagging long after the credits rolled. That last group of movies is what we鈥檙e here today to celebrate.

The best Nollywood movies of 2025.

best nollywood movies of 2025

10. The Masked King

Director: Uduak-Obong Patrick

Genre: History, Drama

Runtime: 1 hour and 58 minutes

The Masked King is set in precolonial Nigeria and follows King Ensa (Daniel Etim Effiong), who rules his people so ruthlessly, you鈥檒l think the only book he鈥檚 ever read is Mein Kampf. His mother, the queen (Shaffy Bello) is torn between supporting her son and taking him out so the people in the kingdom can catch a fucking break. And that鈥檚 not even all of it.

Epic movies aren鈥檛 usually my thing, but I gave this a chance just to see Daniel Etim Effiong in a role that saw him do more than passionately make out. And he blew me away. So did Shaffy Bello as the matriarch torn between loyalty to her demon spawn or loyalty to her people. Also, many period pieces throw their actors in mini-skirts/eyeliner combo and call it a day. The people in charge of sets and props here did a great job helping to immerse the audience in the world of the movie.

The Masked King is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article was written, isn鈥檛 yet on any streaming service.

best nollywood movies of 2025

9. Reel Love

Director: Kayode Kasum

Genre: Romance

Runtime: 1 hour and 38 minutes

Tomide (Timini Egbuson) is a famous relationship influencer whose career is threatened when a video of him in a heated argument with a small business owner named Rachel (TJ Omusuku) leaks on the internet. Tomide鈥檚 girlfriend, Imani (Atlanta Johnson), suggests that he and Rachel stage a romantic relationship to distract from the scandal and get back in the general public鈥檚 good graces, and it works. The public eats it up and both parties鈥� social media followings grow astronomically. Things start to suck for Imani when Tomide and Rachel fall for each other. And now Imani has to take matters into her own hands to fix things.

I love a good 鈥渁nd hijinks ensue鈥︹�� type of movie, which is exactly what Reel Love becomes the second Imani figures out romantic treachery is afoot. Timini Egbuson and TJ Omusuku really sell the enemies to unintentional lovers arc. With the exception of Imani getting royally screwed over, this really is one of the best romantic comedies of the year. 

Reel Love is available to stream on kava.tv.

best nollywood movies of 2025

8. The Herd

Director: Daniel Etim Effiong

Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 1 hour and 51 minutes

Gosi (Daniel Etim Effiong) is battling family problems but cleans up for one day to celebrate the nuptials of his friends, Fola (Kunle Remi) and Derin (Genoveva Umeh). While returning from the reception, they鈥檙e ambushed by kidnappers, kicking off a brutal fight for their lives.

The Herd had me early on with the chemistry of all three main characters. But the second the main plot kicks off and it starts depicting all of Nigeria鈥檚 insecurities (corruption, kidnapping, and organ trafficking) along with the emotional toll these take on the loved ones of people affected, I was completely sold. The movie holds a mirror up to society and really doesn鈥檛 sugarcoat anything. 

The Herd is currently available to stream on Netflix.

best nollywood movies of 2025

7. Red Circle

Director: Akay Mason

Genre: Crime Thriller

Runtime: 1 hour and 59 minutes

Fikayo Holloway (Folu Storms) is an investigative journalist determined to make a name for herself. The only problem, and you may have clocked this from her last name, is she鈥檚 from a filthy rich family of socialites. Fikayo gets wind of a major story about a powerful crime syndicate and is determined to blow it wide open until the case becomes super personal, threatening her life and the lives of those close to her. Now, she has to decide whether to drop the whole thing or face the true cost of doing what is right.

I love a good fictional investigation. Nothing gets me seated faster than a story where a character does Lois Lane cosplay with no Superman. And Red Circle gives me all of that.

Red Circle is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article was written, isn鈥檛 yet on any streaming service.

best nollywood movies of 2025

6. Over The Bridge

Director: Tolu Ajayi

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Runtime: 1 hour and 39 minutes

Folarin Marinho (Ozzy Agu) is a big boy Lagos investment banker who seems to have it all: prestige, money, and a career most people can only dream of. The only problem is that behind the polished exterior, Folarin鈥檚 mental health is wobblier than a Jenga tower. When a major infrastructure deal he鈥檚 overseeing begins to unravel, exposing layers of corruption he鈥檚 not exactly responsible for but is complicit enough to be implicated in, the pressure causes him to snap and disappear. Now Folarin must confront who he is and the consequences of the actions that brought him here without power or status.

Over the Bridge offers a nuanced depiction of the mental health deterioration process, much different from how much of Nollywood portrays it. It shows that mental illness isn鈥檛 always obvious in the ways many people think it is. And Ozzy Agu does a great job with his performance.

Over the Bridge is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn鈥檛 yet on any streaming service.

5. Blackout

Director: Okechukwu Oku

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Runtime: 1 hour and 29 minutes

Judith (Padita Agu) is a young woman whose life is suddenly rewritten when she wakes up with no memory, married with children to a man (Gideon Okeke) she barely recognises. As she struggles to understand how she ended up in a life that doesn鈥檛 feel like hers, unsettling truths begin to surface. Judith soon realises she has been deliberately trapped in this reality, and reclaiming her identity may cost more than she鈥檚 prepared for. I would say more, but I need you to witness the greatness that is this movie鈥檚 plot unfold by yourself.

I haven鈥檛 been this unsettled by a movie since Jordan鈥檚 Peele鈥檚 US. Enough said. 

Blackout is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn鈥檛 yet on any streaming service.

4. Freedom Way

Director: Afolabi Olalekan

Genre: Action Thriller Drama

Runtime: 1 hour and 28 minutes

Themba and Tayo (Jesse Suntele and Jable 鈥淥granya鈥� Osai) create a start-up named Easy Go to support okada riders. It鈥檚 initially successful but gets crushed by hostile government policies and police corruption. The film shows how the venture鈥檚 collapse affects people across the city, like Abiola (Mr Macaroni), a struggling okada rider, who are forced to navigate survival, dignity, and compromise in a system seemingly designed to make life harder for them.

There is a certain individualism in the way many Nigerians navigate the things we go through in the hands of our government. You hear it when people say things like, 鈥淭his government will favour me and my family, in Jesus name鈥�. I feel like the makers of Freedom Way noticed this and said, 鈥淟et鈥檚 show people that you can鈥檛 鈥楪od forbid鈥� your way out of poor governance. And that politics is not a game but human lives literally hanging in the balance.鈥欌�� And I think they nailed it.

Freedom Way is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn鈥檛 yet on any streaming service.

3. The Fire and the Moth

Director: Taiwo Egunjobi

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller/Mystery

Runtime: 1 hour and 39 minutes

The Fire and the Moth follows Saba, a small-time smuggler who steals a rare Ife bronze head and tries to transport it through a harsh border town in western Nigeria. As word of the stolen artefact spreads, Saba’s plan goes to shit as people who want it for themselves, each one more dangerous than the last, begin coming after him. Now Saba is confused about how to proceed but doesn’t have time to stop and think.

Some people will say that this movie sacrifices plot execution on the altar of visuals, and I can confidently tell you they鈥檙e wrong. The movie has stunning visuals that鈥檒l gag you, and then gag you some more as the plot unfolds. Get into it.

The Fire and the Moth is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

2. My Mother is a Witch

Director: Niyi Akinmolayan

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 1 hour and 40 minutes

My Mother Is a Witch follows Jess (Efe Irele), a successful fashion editor living in London who is forced to return home after being told her estranged mother (Mercy Aigbe) has died. When she arrives, Jess discovers the death was a lie, designed to pull her back into a relationship she ran from years ago. As old wounds resurface and buried resentments come to the surface, Jess is pushed to confront the truth about her mother, her past, and whether reconciliation is even possible.

Watching Efe Irele and Mercy Aigbe hash out generational trauma is something akin to a religious experience. The entire movie hinges on their performances. And oh my god, do they deliver. 

My Mother is a Witch is available to stream on Kava TV. 

1. My Father’s Shadow

Director: Akinola Davies Jr

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 1 hour and 34 minutes

When the June 12th political crisis of 1993 paralyses Lagos, Akin (Sope Dirisu), a struggling Lagos mechanic, is unexpectedly saddled with the responsibility of caring for his two young sons for the day. Over the course of a single day, Akin must confront his own shortcomings as a father while trying to keep his children safe, turning an ordinary moment into a defining test of love, responsibility, and survival.

I love when movies are basically just, 鈥淗ere鈥檚 a slice of these fictional characters鈥� lives set against a major real-life event as a backdrop鈥�. Akinola Davies Jr does an incredible job showing how much the kids adore their father despite his shortcomings. A scene from the movie that haunts me (and doesn’t surprise me that this movie has been chosen to be the UK’s official entry at the Oscars) is where one of the boys tries to make sense of love and distance. He asks his father about God, about being loved, and about why the people who say they care never seem close enough to stay. The question hangs in the air, unanswered, not because it is complicated, but because it is painfully simple.

Excuse me while I go sob. 

My Father’s Shadow is no longer showing in cinemas, and as at the time of this article being written, isn鈥檛 yet on any streaming service.

best nollywood movies of 2025

ALSO READ: 20 Of The Best Nigerian Albums of 2025

If you had asked me what Danish Deception was a few days ago, I would’ve sworn it’s when you open a tin of Danish cookies hoping to find sugary delights but end up with sewing supplies.

This soap-opera-style TitkTok mess comes to us courtesy of Onyeka Ehie, a Nigerian-American and former Bachelor contestant. Here’s a photo of her pre-scam:

She was a contestant on the 23rd season of (Colton Underwood’s season, LMAO) and was eliminated in Week 5. She eventually returned for the 6th season of the spin-off show, Bachelor in Paradise.

She revealed in a 25-part TikTok series how her three-year marriage to a Danish man named Martin Fredsgaard Andersen started like a cheesy romance flick and ended like something you already know Netflix is making a documentary about.

Personally, I think the story didn’t need to be this long. There’s a lot of fluff that we could have done without but ultimately made the story more immersive. On that note, I have to hand it to her for making this retelling cinematic AF. She released a teaser video, followed by the pilot, and ended each chapter with a cliffhanger. She even named the saga herself.

While watching it, I realise why she’s told the story this way. If you’re going to reveal to the world how you got scammed, you might as well make some money from it. Each video in the series has a ton of views, and I have no doubt that her account is monetised.

I know that’s right.

Because we don’t have all the time in the world, I will be cutting through the fluff to get you the main gist. So sit down and grab some scones . Because…

The silhouette is you. We like to have fun over here.

It’s June 2022. Our protagonist, Onyeka, is tired of serving capitalism, so she goes on vacation to Croatia where she meets a Danish man named Martin. They flirt heavily with each other, bond, and exchange Instagram handles, agreeing to keep in touch.

Here’s a picture of them together so you have a face in mind whenever I mention him.

I have to mention that I found this photo of them on an Instagram page named ““. Do not take this as commentary on interracial relationships. I just think it’s funny as hell.

As the days go by, Martin is blowing up her Instagram with flirty messages. They start talking, and it’s clear there’s mutual attraction. He reveals that he comes from a royal family and offers to fly her out. She first refuses because she’s an “Independent Woma (Part 1 by Destiny’s Child), but eventually agrees. Martin pulls out all the stops. He flies her out to Monaco and then to Cannes where they knock genitals. Onyeka is getting her entire life.

She’s so turnt that she tells him she’s in love with him, and then passes out on her way to the bathroom, smacking her head on a flight of stairs in the process. Just as the ambulance is about to take her to the hospital, lying in a puddle of her blood and urine (she peed herself when she fell), Martin cradles her face and says, “I love you too.”

When Onyeka returns home to America, she tells her family and friends that she’s found love. Her typical Nigerian parents react the way you expect.

But they eventually come around, and so do her friends. Months later, Onyeka and Martin have settled into the rhythm of long-distance relationships, which I assume involves a lot of…

It’s hard out here for long-distance relationship folks.

Martin announces that he owns multiple rental properties in Denmark and is considering buying another, but currently doesn’t have enough money because his cash is temporarily tied up in other things. Onyeka feels guilty that he’s paid for everything so far. And because she believes they’re in a relationship that’s heading to marriage, she offers him some money as a way to “pull her weight”. He’s grateful but turns down her offer.

Here’s Whoopi Goldberg to voice the thought I had when I got to this part of the story.

Not long after, Martin visits Onyeka in America and charms the pants off her family and friends. He randomly mentions being an Olympian, which gags everyone present, including Onyeka, because he’d never brought it up before now. When he returns to Denmark, she鈥檚 depressed AF and offers to uproot her entire life to move to Denmark and be with him. He declines, saying he doesn’t want to separate her from her family. With the level of care and consideration Martin showed, I imagine Onyeka was like…

Right after this, Martin’s life seemingly goes to shit as the following series of unfortunate events happen to him:

• His father dies.
• His uncle also dies.
• He develops severe back pain due to two herniated discs and has to get surgery.
• Something goes wrong with the electrical setup in the apartment building he just bought that would cost $50,000 to fix.

He decides to cancel his trip to see Onyeka so he’ll have enough money to fix his problems. She misses him so much, though, so she gives him some money to help him fix his building problem so the trip can proceed as planned.

These things happen over the span of months. In that time, they decide to get married, go ring shopping, and consult an immigration lawyer. Onyeka鈥檚 mother randomly asks if Martin鈥檚 parents even know Onyeka exists, because they鈥檝e never met. Onyeka briefly spirals over this, but returns to regular programming when the delusion takes over.

Then comes the next set of problems for Martin:

• Because Martin plans to move to America, he sells his house and decides to invest $250,000 from that sale into a friend鈥檚 plumbing business. Onyeka encourages it after he insists it’s a good investment.
• Weeks later, he claims the Danish IRS says he owes $318,000 in unpaid taxes and asks to borrow $15,000 from her to complete the money he has. When she hesitates because she needs the money to pay her own taxes soon, he manipulates her by saying that if he doesn’t fix this, it will jeopardise his green card application process. She immediately gives in and lends him the money. He now owes her $25,000.
• A friend he borrowed from to sort the tax problem needs his money back urgently. She gives him $3000 to add to the money he’s already raised to pay his friend back.

At some point in all this happening, they set a wedding date. They get married at a courthouse with Onyeka in a Fashion Nova dress.

Not Fashion Nova. Lol

They go on vacation to Cabo…

Eat the rich fr

…and while Onyeka’s stunting for the gram, she notices many Danish people viewing her stories, including Martin’s ex-girlfriend. When she points this out to him, he calls them bad belles and asks her to block all of them. She does and forgets about it.

Here’s a list of weird stuff that happens next:

• Onyeka meets Martin’s parents and is shocked to see that they don’t live like royalty. The house is small, the vibes are off, and he seems somewhat ashamed of the house. She just assumes that they don’t enjoy the flashy life.
• Martin announces he鈥檚 found a wealthy family to buy the apartment building and claims their contract requires both sides to put money into escrow so no one pulls out. He says he needs $120,000 and will get a loan for $100,000 and needs $20,000 more. She gives him $3000, bringing the total money he owes her to $31,000.

To celebrate selling his house, he wants them to go ON YET ANOTHER VACATION. She rightly points out that they have very little money, so he suggests they use her credit cards, seeing as the sale of the house will go through soon, and he’ll pay her back. Even though her savings are gone at this point, SHE AGREES, accruing credit card debt on top of the regular debt she already has.

After the trip, Martin claims the IRS has flagged the sale of his Denmark house. She panics because it means they’re going to struggle financially for longer. He says the IRS has scheduled a hearing for this, which goes badly. A second hearing is set for his personal and business accounts. He claims all his assets will be frozen for months and that the government will put him on a fixed living allowance. He insists she shouldn鈥檛 tell anyone about his financial issues so they won’t look at him differently.

He later says the second hearing went well and instantly sends her only $9000, claiming all remaining funds are in his business account, which is now frozen for eighteen to twenty-four months. He claims his remaining money has been drained by insurance charges on his two rental buildings. He is suddenly broke again, and she resumes supporting him financially.

At Christmas 2023, Onyeka gets Martin’s real tea from one of his close friends.

Martin has a major gambling addiction.

Here’s some other stuff she finds out:

• He owes her friends (Let’s call them Mr and Mrs Watch) $200,000. Months prior, Martin approached Mr and Mrs Watch about a watch selling business. Mr Watch agreed and the watches were sold, but Martin never sent their share of the money. ($200,000)
• Martin lied about no longer having a gambling addiction. Mrs Watch does some digging and finds out that the payments for the watches were made into a crypto wallet that’s been connected to a gambling website for years.

Mrs Watch suggests they hire a private investigator to find out more about Martin. Here’s what the PI finds:

• No criminal background 鈥� a miracle given his track record with money.
• He never went to the Olympics.
• The house he claimed he was living in in Denmark at the time he and Onyeka met wasn’t his. The PI reverse Google-searched a photo of the house and found out the house is situated in Germany.

She confronts him with all this, and he attempts to lie but gives in and starts crying when she threatens to call his mother. At this point, I’m like:

BUT SHE DOESN’T. She still loves him and thinks things can still be salvaged. She makes him start attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings. They also set up a plan to repay Mr and Mrs Watch. And for a few months, things seem to be going well.

Until she finds out that he’s still gambling. Like mad. As in, he’s gambled all his money away and has only 34垄 in his bank account.

They do the whole spiel again. She gets upset, he cries, apologises, and they go back to regular programming.

Until he starts gambling again.

This time, he sells more of his comically expensive watches, takes a salary advance from his workplace, and uses ALL THE MONEY TO GAMBLE.

Everything that happens next is a rollercoaster of shit so I’m going to put it in list form.

Ready?

• Martin somehow owes Onyeka鈥檚 mother $10,000 he owes her. He claims he’s sent it and keeps lying about why it hasn’t arrived yet. When Onyeka confronts him about it, he yells about being unhappy and proceeds to excuse himself from the narrative that is their marriage. He then storms out and flies back to Denmark.
• While Onyeka is crying to her sisters about her impending divorce, she finds out he also borrowed $3000 from her youngest sister. Twice. He paid back the first time and didn’t pay back the second time.

This is when Onyeka’s eyes finally open.

• She starts calling all the friends and family she’d introduced Martin to and found out he’d borrowed money from them and never paid back. Pretty much every single one, and he told them to keep it a secret from her.
• Onyeka unblocks Martin’s ex on IG and reaches out to her. The ex already knows what’s going on and spills even hotter tea: They’d dated for seven years (he’d told Onyeka they only dated for four). She reveals he stole money from her, her family, her friends, her coworkers, and that he was still with her four months into his relationship with Onyeka.

At this point, Onyeka is like:

• Onyeka call up Martin’s sister, whom she had never spoken to because Martin said he had beef with her. She learns the royalty claim was fake, and Martin never owned any property in Denmark. Martin’s sister explains that Martin has a long history of borrowing money from people for fake business ideas. Around the time of his rehab stint, he got money from loan sharks who threatened to break his knees and those of his friends and family. After that, he escapes to Shanghai and starts scamming people there too.
• Also, his old gambling rehab doctors had described his gambling addiction as the worst they’d ever seen in their careers.

That last one made me cackle because it gave me flashbacks to Dr Samuel Loomis describing Michael Myers in the first Halloween movie.

To say Onyeka is distraught is an understatement. She calls everyone she knows Martin spoke to while in America and finds out from some guy who wanted to be a mentor to Martin that Martin had scammed him of $30,000. He鈥檇 even sued Martin, but Martin lied and hid it from Onyeka.

Onyeka decides that all she can do now is fight, and, seeing as Martin didn鈥檛 leave behind any clothes or a car for her to burn, she starts by initiating the divorce proceedings. This makes Martin start blowing up her phone with ChatGPT-crafted messages saying he loves her and wants to work on what they have. She ignores him until she鈥檚 walking her dog one day, and he shows up in a black SUV and says with a smile, “Hey baby.”

Onyeka, who is seeing things clearly for the first time in three years, takes in a deep breath and screams…

And so he drives off in a hurry. Was he actually trying to kidnap her?!

Imagine “Hopeful” by Twista and Faith Evans playing as you read this portion

Onyeka is no longer legally tethered to Martin Fredsgaard Andersen. He couldn’t get anything else from her because she bought everything she had before they met and didn’t have time to put his name on any documents.

Their divorce was finalised on the 4th of November, 2025.

Onyeka refuses to end it here, though. She’s dedicated to making sure no one ever experiences what she went through. She says many victims of Martin’s have reached out to her since she put her story out, and she’s putting enough evidence together to put Martin behind bars forever.

You better werk, Onyeka.

Once upon a time, an insane Christian book that claimed the devil created football as a tool to destroy humanity  on the internet. I did the dirty work of actually reading and recapping it. The article was so popular that I decided to make my recaps into a weekly series named 鈥�So You Don鈥檛 Have To 鈥�, where I find batshit crazy pieces of media (books, movies, etc.) and recap them for your pleasure.

I’m truly obssessed with how the photographer airbrushed them into uncanny valley territory.

The movie starts in what is obviously a Lekki shortlet. Odogwu (Uzor Arukwe) has brought Chioma (Bam Bam) to meet his village elders, but things don’t look as joyous as they should. I’m still wondering why the long faces when the elders look Chioma in the face and call her:

And I’m like,

Turns out Chioma was born out of wedlock, and Odogwu’s village elders aren’t down with that. They claim that if Odogwu, a titled man, marries such a woman, it would besmirch his family name or some shit. They insist the wedding can not happen and ask him to choose between Chioma and his title.

Chioma, who’s just been called a bastard unprovoked, is in distress because her man is about to pick a title over her. She gearing up to cry…

…but then wakes up screaming.

T’was just a nightmare.

Chioma is launching her perfume store named Arena Scents. Her family members are present in bone straight wigs of varying qualities.

That middle one in particular is diabolical.

Odogwu is also present, and his outfit is just insane.

A pair of nurse scrubs with an coat? I am STRESSED.

Chioma asks Odogwu why his mother, Mummy Odogwu, isn’t present even though he promised he’d bring her. She complains that she’s never met his mother and doesn’t know what she looks like because he’s only ever shown her a 30 year old picture of Mummy Odogwu.

He brushes it off with a joke that makes her giggle and promises that she’ll meet his mother soon. This is a thing that happens thorough out the movie, btw. She’ll complain about something, he’ll crack a joke to throw her off, she’ll say, “Odogwu, stop!” and tee-hee until she forgets what was bothering her in the first place.

Girl, stop giggling, and STAND ON BUSINESS!

The next day, Chioma gets to the store to find all the shelves empty. She gets like Marvin and asks what’s going on, and the attendant explains that she posted a snippet of Chioma’s speech from the store launch along with a song named “Achalugo” by an artist signed to Mavin Records named Boy Spyce.

Boy Spyce reposted the video to his story, and Don Jazzy reposted it to his, causing other celebrities to follow suit until the general public felt compelled to patronize the store in droves.

Dear reader, so begins the long list of super aggressive product placements in this movie.

I guess Omoni Oboli figured that if Smart Money Woman could get away with human product placement, she could too.

Chioma tells Odogwu about her business’ stroke of luck. He decides to buy her a logistics company so she can keep up with orders. And that’s how we get:

At the end of the logistics company conversation, she says, “I love you” and he replies with:

I don’t know if it was an editing error or an intentional joke, but it made me cackle.

There’s a scene where Odogwu receives a phone call from Chioma. Apropos of nothing, he says this:

We’re just getting started, you guys.

Gifts meant for Chioma are delivered to her office, along with a note. She initially thinks they’re from Odogwu but realises they’re not after reading the poem that came with them. The poem is refined and cultured. That’s not Odogwu’s style. Chioma has a secret admirer. She can’t keep the gifts, so she gives them to her assistant.

Also, peep:

The excitement on the assistant’s face is killing me. Lmao

Odogwu is at dinner with his family when Mummy Odogwu complains about Chioma being too focused on career shit. She insists Chioma should focus on bearing sons instead and starts to criticise Odogwu’s affinity for career women when her other son points out that the reason Odogwu loves the career ladies is that Mummy Odogwu herself was a career woman.

Mummy Odogwu (Patience Ozokwor, who you’ll remember has never met Chioma) doesn’t rate her and sees her as a gold digger. She doesn’t take their relationship seriously either and loudly wishes for the day his obsession with Chioma will end. Determined to prove that his love for Chioma isn’t a passing fad, he declares that he’s going to see Chioma’s relatives the following week to make his intentions to marry her known. Mummy Odogwu is not happy about this development, and her face can not hide it.

Odogwu is having a meeting with UBA staff…

…when Chioma calls to gist him about how a popular Dubai perfume company named Supreme wants Arena Scents to become their official distributor in Africa. I pause the movie here to figure out if I missed a scene of her doing juju because the luck her business has been getting since she launched is wild.

There’s a scene where Odogwu and Chioma are making out in bed.

She’s getting super into it and is ready for them to knock genitals.

But he pulls away saying:

So now, she’s like:

I feel you, sister.

The movie itself is full of scenes that have nothing to do with anything. It’s structured worse than Nigeria’s economy, and I’m fighting for my life trying to make sense of it.

Odogwu gifts Mama Chioma a house so he can ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage. He tells Chioma that he started building the house immediately after they first met because he knew he was going to marry her someday. Chioma is touched by this, but I’m like:

Wedding preparations begin. Mama Chioma and Ify (Chioma’s sister or friend??) are way more enthusiastic about things than Chioma is. Ify suggests they make a destination wedding and starts listing off locations.

While Mama Chioma is scamming the hell out of her friends in the name of aso ebi:

Meanwhile, Mummy Odogwu learns about Chioma’s true parentage and is determined to get the wedding called off. She tries to make Odogwu do it, but he doesn’t care, so she goes to their village elders. When she sense hesitation in them, she pulls out her secret weapon.

Emotional manpulation.

It works, and all the elders are gagged.

Chioma’s ex-boyfriend, Hassan (Chris Attoh), saunters into the plot. He’s the secret admirer who sent the gifts earlier and is also on the board of Supreme, the Dubai perfume company looking to partner with Arena Scents. He declares his intention to get back with her by doing this:

But she’s with Odogwu now. Also, their relationship ended when he ghosted her years into their relationship. So she’s like:

He later buys her a G-Wagon to win back her love (is everybody in this movie doing money ritual??) but she tosses the keys in his face and tells him off.

Odogwu tracks down Chioma’s father and brings him to her office. She is pissed, because, like, who sent him message? He mentions how he’s been seeing ignored calls from her dad on her phone and somehow took that as a sign that she wanted to see him (???) These calls have never been shown or even referenced before now, so we’re either witnessing shitty writing or editing. Odogwu goes to her house to apologise, she accepts, and he spends the night. Then they make us watch this sequence of him brushing his teeth just so they can show this:

Odogwu’s village elders are unable to make him cancel the wedding. So they summon Chioma, instructing her and the spirit of wedlock she carries around to leave Odogwu alone. Odogwu makes it clear he doesn’t give a shit about his family’s approval and is willing to elope with Chioma, but she refuses for the following reason:

And ends the relationship.

Chioma tries throwing herself into work to distract from the breakup but finds that the universe hates her. The Supreme Dubai deal has been cancelled. Petty ass Hassan got the deal called off when she spurned his advances.

Chioma’s life right now is straightup diarrhea, and she just can’t even. She drops everything and goes on vacation at Ziba Resort to have a heartbreak montage.

The framing of this shot (so the resort’s name is visible) is sending me into oribit.

Odogwu hasn’t given up yet, though. He gets Chioma’s location from Ify and deliberately sends his mother on vacation there so she can get to know Chioma. The thing is, Chioma has never met Mummy Odogwu and doesn’t know what she looks like. But Mummy Odogwu knows Chioma. This leads to Chioma spending the next few days unknowingly auditioning for Mummy Odogwu. They run into each at the breakfast buffet and reach for the last piece of chicken at the same time. Chioma graciously leaves it for Mummy Odogwu.

They run into each other again during lunch when a random couple is arguing loudly, and Chioma defends the woman.

Mummy Odogwu later finds Chioma reading on the beach.

After a talking for while, Mummy Odogwu decideds Chioma is good enough for her son. Odogwu shows up at the resort to find Chioma. They suck face on the beach and get back together. Mummy Odogwu reveals her identity to Chioma the next morning. They all laugh and hug, and I half-expect them to jump into a freeze frame. But that doesn’t happen, because this isn’t that type of movie (a fun one).

We’re finally at the traditional wedding. The cooks are in the kitchen whipping up a feast when we get the product placement motherload.

And FINALLY the movie ends, with Odogwu and Chioma sucking face in a wedding dress store.

You just know there’s a sequel coming that’ll focus on the white wedding.