In January, Nigerians spent ₦1.2 billion on movies in theaters
322,833 people saw films in all theaters during the review period.
Since its December 2023 debut, “A Tribe Called Judah” has had an unprecedented run in theaters, grossing approximately ₦1.4 billion as of mid-February 2024. [FilmOne]
According to data released by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) on Tuesday, the nation’s theaters brought in ₦1.2 billion in income in January.
Its national president, Opeyemi Ajayi, revealed this information while in a Lagos interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stating that 322,833 people saw the film overall during the period under consideration.
Ajayi said that the year started off well since Nigerians have kept up their tradition of coming to the movies.
“For January 2024, we had total sales of ₦1,202,195,706 with total admission of 322, 833,” he stated.
Speaking further about how the movie industry performed in 2023, Ajayi stated that 2,606,891 admissions brought in ₦7.35 billion in income for all theaters.
He reported that sales in 2023 were significantly higher than in 2022, bringing in approximately ₦6.94 billion.
Additionally, he mentioned that a decline in movie theater admissions was noted in 2023, but an increase in average ticket sales led to a rise in revenue.
He claims that A Tribe Called Judah, Malaika, Orisa, Ada Omo Daddy, Merry Men, Kesari, Something Like Gold, The Kujus Again, Afamefuna, and A Weekend to Forget will be the biggest-grossing Nollywood movies in 2023.
In comparison to December 2022, which had 384,435 admissions, December 2023 saw the greatest December Gross Box Office (GBO) of ₦1.6 billion and a notable rise in admissions of 467,985. In the region, A Tribe Called Judah went on to become the biggest-grossing movie ever made.
“An increase in average ticket prices contributed to a growth in revenue in 2023, despite an 18.4% decline in movie admissions.” In 2023, two theaters closed because operating costs were rising, and eight new theaters debuted.
“We had the first ever Cinema Day, celebrated in September and we experienced a significant rise in admission and revenue on that day.”
