Nigeria’s box office slowed in September, closing at just over N900 million in grosses, the second-lowest monthly total of 2025.
The figure, while stronger than early projections of N750 million to N800 million, underscores the seasonality and volatility of the market, with distributors now looking ahead to October to see if the industry can restore its billion-naira streak.
The month was widely expected to underperform given its release schedule, but two titles helped lift results above expectations: Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and The Conjuring: Last Rites. Both imported tentpoles delivered robust returns, driving admissions and offsetting the quieter performance of local titles.
Comparisons to previous months
September’s N900 million haul represents a clear decline from August, when cinemas recorded N1.1 billion on 192,314 admissions, and from July’s strong N1.23 billion with 208,435 tickets sold according to data made available to Nairametrics. July and August were buoyed by sustained momentum from major summer releases, particularly Fantastic Four and Superman, which dominated charts across multiple weeks.
In contrast, September’s lineup leaned heavily on a mix of horror, anime, and smaller-scale domestic films. The slate lacked the kind of crossover blockbuster that has fueled earlier box office highs, making the N900 million finish a relative “win” for exhibitors.
September weekend leaders
The month’s box office was shaped by three key weekends.
- September 5–7: The Conjuring: Last Rites opened with N31.6 million, setting the tone for horror’s strong run. Fantastic Four, in its seventh week, still managed N18.9 million, bringing its cumulative gross to N451.6 million. Local hit Abanisete added N15.7 million, pushing its lifetime earnings to N126.9 million.
- September 12–14: Anime feature Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle stormed in with N82.4 million, the month’s single-biggest opening. The Conjuring held second with N23.5 million in its second frame, while Abanisete continued its momentum with N9.5 million, crossing the N140 million milestone.
- September 26–28: Local comedy Gingerrr opened with N78.9 million, marking the month’s strongest domestic debut. One Battle After Another followed with N15.4 million. Meanwhile, The Conjuring and Demon Slayer showed legs, adding N15.1 million and N13.3 million respectively in later weeks.
Cumulative performers
By month’s end, Demon Slayer had accumulated N154.6 million, while The Conjuring reached N138.9 million. Abanisete closed September with N141.9 million across five weeks. Fantastic Four maintained its position as the year’s top-grossing import with N468.3 million by its eighth week.
With September closing under the N1 billion benchmark, industry attention now turns to October. Historically a stronger month due to holiday traffic and tentpole releases, distributors are banking on upcoming premieres to reestablish the billion-naira run that defined the May-to-August window.
