At the start of the year, there was an influx of nostalgic posts on social media. These posts reminisce about the year 2016 and exude themes of growth, evolution, and the state of people and several industries.
The Nigerian film industry is no stranger to growth and nostalgia. From the evolution of Old Nollywood and home videos that preceded the early 2000s, to cinematic films and streaming sites, Nigerian storytelling is home to numerous shifts and twists.
In documenting these twists and turns from the year 2016 to 2026, one has to look at the changes that the past decade ushered in for how movies and theatre now operate in Nigeria.
Bigger Digital Reach with Streaming Platforms
The past decade saw the rise of streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime among Nigerian audiences, leading to an increase in movies and series on international streaming sites tailored for Nigerian audiences. This development allowed Nigerian filmmakers and other local creators to secure partnerships to produce blockbuster projects. Some popular titles include Oloture, Lionheart, and Anikulapo.
The presence of Netflix through marketing campaigns like Nollywood is Home also led to the emergence of other streaming services, such as Showmax and Amazon Prime. Through these platforms, one can point to popular series and movies like Wura, The Real Housewives of Lagos, and Gangs of Lagos as evidence that streaming is here to stay.
However, in 2026, with the rise of legal streaming sites for mobile devices, piracy has taken on a more digital presence. While piracy is not particularly new, it tarnishes the efforts of Nigerian filmmakers, making it harder for filmmakers to effectively track the legitimate reach of their movies and films.
One can also not talk about the digital reach of Nigerian movies without speaking on how the presence of platforms like YouTube has created a newer avenue for independent and established filmmakers to earn and increase visibility. From movies like Love In Every Word, created by established producers like Omoni Oboli, to short films like The Delectable Azeezah Sama, produced by AMVCA nominees like Desmond Ebuwa Ekunwe, YouTube has improved accessibility for film and movie lovers.
Speaking of the African Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), the awards have received more visibility and prestige. However, one must observe that there needs to be more award shows of equal prestige dedicated to movies in Nigeria.
More Women-Centered Stories
Around 2016-2018, there was an increase in feminist agitations on Nigerian social media apps like Twitter and Instagram. These agitations centered on issues of rape, the decentering of marriage, and the criticism of sexist choices made by women. Online hashtags like #BringBackOurGirls and #BeingFemaleInNigeria portrayed the lives of women living as a woman in Nigeria.
In the Nigerian film industry, more films showed women not as those seeking transactional settings the way Old Nollywood did, but as those choosing alternate lifestyles and speaking against negative family or societal dynamics.
Movies like Isoken and Fifty both questioned the popularly held belief that women expire after a certain age and must settle to be seen as married women. Other movies like This Lady Called Life, featuring Bisola Aiyeola, also cast a light on how single mothers can always succeed given the right support. Furthermore, harder topics like sex trafficking and on-campus sex for grades were explored in movies like Oloture and Citation, respectively.
That said, in 2026, some may argue that movies encouraging women to relinquish their ability to earn are making a comeback. While that is up for debate, one can definitely not ignore that Nigerian women still have movies to reference should they need a guide to living alternatively.
More Queer Representation
Although Old Nollywood did show queer representation in movies like Emotional Crack and Rattlesnake, the representation of queer and same sex loving people has been criticised as few and not properly portrayed.
In 2016, movies like Hell or High Water emerged in response to the Same Sex Prohibition Act of 2014. Portraying the lives of queer men, the movie chronicled the experiences of gay men. There are also movies like Ifé, which documented the experiences of queer Nigerian women.
Between 2016 and 2026, there has also been the creation of film festivals tailored specifically to Nigerian queer representation. Festivals like The Lagos Queer Film Festival, allowed indie filmmakers like Jeffrey Oba to put out short films that deconstruct the idea that heterosexuality must be the norm.
Remakes of Classic Nollywood Titles and a Higher Emergence of Actors Becoming Producers
In the past ten years, there have also been remakes of Classic Nollywood movies and an increased resurgence of actors becoming more mainstream producers.
For instance, popular Nollywood titles like Living In Bondage, Glamour Girls, and Nneka The Pretty Serpent have seen producers remake and reimagine them for a more modern audience. These remakes of movies like Glamour Girls are also now available on streaming sites like Netflix, thereby widening the scope of visibility given to the older classics.
Furthermore, more Nollywood actors are actively spearheading production companies. At the top of this list is Funke Akindele, an actor most known for her Jenifa series. She now runs a production company called Funke Akindele Network, a film and TV company behind movies like A Tribe Called Judah and Battle On Buka Street.
To conclude, we can borrow the words of Jeffrey Oba, one of the filmmakers quoted in this piece, when he says: “Now we have more range and there’s more nuance”.
