Nollywood’s 2026 movie slate has been met with considerable anticipation. The genre has diversified, encompassing romance, family drama, dance cinema and social stories alongside commercial crowd-pleasers. Filmmakers are experimenting with familiar formulas against fresh settings, sharper questions and more personal approaches. This has proven to be an intriguing development.
These films traverse diverse communities, generations and emotional divides, appealing to a wide audience. Each offers compelling characters and conflicts, providing a compelling reason to continue watching.
Here is a guide to the 10 Nollywood movies you should see in 2026:
1. Call of My Life
Genre: Romantic comedy
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Release date: May 15, 2026
Soluchi, a warm-hearted Lagos call-centre worker, struggles with her romantic life despite her professional dedication. After her boyfriend Kalu dismisses her, she is left questioning her desires. A routine customer call introduces her to Eli, a charismatic Ghanaian news anchor whose voice becomes more than a background sound.
Their connection develops into something unexpectedly serious, but Kalu is not finished with Soluchi. When her former lover attempts to reclaim what he discarded, she must decide whether familiarity warrants another chance. Written by Uzoamaka Power and directed by Dammy Twitch, the film follows Soluchi as she learns that being loved is different from simply being wanted.
2. The Boy Who Gave
Genre: Drama / Family
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Release date: May 15, 2026
Set in the creeks of Port Harcourt, this film follows a young boy whose childhood is abruptly ended when tragedy claims his parents. With the adults who should protect him suddenly gone, he becomes responsible for all his family’s needs. Dreams that once seemed ordinary are pushed aside as survival becomes his full-time occupation, forcing a child into responsibilities far beyond his years.
His sacrifice, however, comes with a significant cost. He is both the family’s saviour and the person paying the greatest price for keeping everyone together. Allison Precious Emmanuel writes, directs, produces and stars in the film, which premiered at AFRIFF before its 2026 theatrical release. Its central question is simple yet profound: how much can one child give before giving changes him?
3. The Other Side of the Bridge
Genre: Drama / Sports
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Release date: 2026
Femi once looked destined for a promising boxing career but life pushed him away from the ring. When his trainer’s gym faces closure, he sees one way out: enter a high-stakes competition and fight for the place that helped shape him. His comeback, however, puts him directly against Farouq, a financially struggling fighter carrying his own troubles.
The rivalry soon becomes larger than boxing. Femi and Farouq are fighting for futures shaped by very different circumstances while their pasts continually intrude into the present. Directed by Fiyin Gambo, the drama uses the ring as a pressure cooker for pride, loyalty and survival. Every contest forces its fighters to confront what they have lost and what remains worth protecting.
4. Aba Blues
Genre: Romance / Drama
Runtime: 2 hrs
Release date: March 20, 2026
Amara has married Uzor and appears ready to settle into a new chapter. However, her former high-school sweetheart Dirim returns from the United Kingdom. What begins as an unexpected reunion quickly becomes a dangerous disturbance when Dirim attempts to revive their past relationship. Amara is caught between the stability of her marriage and a romantic connection that never fully faded.
The complication extends beyond an ordinary love triangle. Amara’s history with Dirim is marked by teenage pregnancy, abandonment and family judgement. Her relationship with her mother adds another layer of pressure, particularly as her mother treats Dirim with surprising affection. Jack’enneth Opukeme’s drama transforms romantic temptation into a narrative about memory, resentment, marriage and the emotional baggage that refuses to remain buried.
5.Onobiren: A Woman’s Story
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Release date: March 6, 2026
Roli leaves Warri for Lagos carrying the weight of tradition and expectation. Initially her journey appears familiar: a young woman entering the city and attempting to find her footing. However, she chooses a different path. Her fishing roots, personal ambition and encounters with other women gradually reshape her understanding of what independence can mean. The film places purpose and self-determination at the centre of her journey.
Roli’s transformation is not presented as a solitary victory. The women around her become integral to the story, creating a network of support that enables her to challenge expectations and envision a different future. Ruby Akubueze leads the cast as Roli, with Bisola Aiyeola, Patience Ozokwor and Deyemi Okanlawon among the supporting players. The result is a character-driven narrative about identity, enterprise, culture and female solidarity.
6. Evi
Genre: Musical drama
Runtime: 2 hrs 11 mins
Release date: March 27, 2026
Evi’s career is a dream for aspiring singers. Talented and famous, she is increasingly convinced of her own invincibility. However, her record label collapses, taking her career, finances and status with it. The superstar is suddenly faced with a less glamorous reality. For someone accustomed to applause, starting again proves considerably more challenging than achieving fame.
Her path back involves people she might have once overlooked. With the support of her friend and manager, Evi takes steps to rebuild her career while confronting the arrogance that contributed to her downfall. Her manager, Kola Adeloye, is battling his own alcohol and gambling addiction. Written and directed by Uyoyou Adia, the musical drama portrays redemption as a difficult process rather than a convenient makeover.
7. When Nigeria Happens
Genre: Contemporary dance drama
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Release year: 2026 theatrical release
Six young dancers build a life together in Lagos, choosing art despite a city that offers little certainty. Fagbo, Pokko, Lighter, Movement, Colos and Poppy find freedom in dance and community. Their shared dream is simple: create a life where their art can sustain them. However, Fagbo’s mother falls critically ill, turning their artistic escape into a much harder fight for survival.
As Fagbo searches for money to pay for his mother’s care, the group’s unity begins to strain. Their dreams suddenly compete with responsibility, forcing each dancer to confront what they are willing to sacrifice. Ema Edosio’s film uses contemporary dance as part of its storytelling language, placing friendship, ambition and hardship within the restless rhythms of Lagos. The result is intimate, physical and emotionally challenging.
8. To Adaego With Love
Genre: Romantic period drama
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Release date: February 6, 2026
Set in 1975, To Adaego With Love follows Adaego, a schoolteacher, and Major Bala, a soldier from a different ethnic background. Their attraction develops in a Nigeria still recovering from civil war. Love, unfortunately, does not arrive in a vacuum. Their relationship must navigate family loyalties tradition social divisions and the suspicion surrounding a country attempting to heal its wounds.
The romance therefore becomes a meeting point between private affection and national memory. Adaego and Bala must decide whether their relationship can survive pressures larger than themselves. Nwamaka Chikezie directs from Brenda Ogbukaa-Garuba’s screenplay, with Chisom Agoawuike and Adam Garba leading the central roles. The film also featuresChioma Chukwuka Bob-Manuel Udokwu Demi Banwo and Onyeka Onwenu.
9. On Different Grounds
Genre: Romantic comedy
Runtime: 2 hours
Release date: June 12, 2026
Eyimofe and Isioma Fregene were once Lagos society’s glamorous power couple. Their marriage quietly collapsed leaving the former billionaires to live separate lives. Years later their eldest daughter’s wedding forces them into the same room again. There is just one problem: Aurora has a secret plan of her own which threatens to turn the family celebration into an elaborate exercise in romantic matchmaking.
The story spans Lagos and Mumbai bringing Nigerian and Indian cultures into the same family comedy. Old memories resurface, unfinished feelings return and the wedding becomes increasingly difficult to control. Mildred Okwo directs the romantic comedy with an ensemble cast including Jennifer Eliogu Uche Jombo Bob-Manuel Udokwu Uche Montana and Nkem Owoh. It is a story about divorce, family, second chances and feelings that prove inconveniently difficult to bury.
10. One Gidi Night
Genre: Suspense / Thriller
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Release Date: September 11, 2026
An ordinary, well-meaning man finds himself pushed to his absolute limit by sheer desperation over the course of a single, pulse-pounding night in Lagos. With his pregnant wife Busayo in labour and stuck at a hospital requiring expensive Caesarean section fees he is forced to discard his moral beliefs. What starts as a routine run quickly spirals out of control when he drops straight into a predator’s trap forcing him to navigate the city’s dangerous underbelly in a high-stakes race against time.
By: Edegbai Henrietta Oyinkansola
