Nollywood faith-based film Agbara Nla: The Return has made a major statement at the box office, recording more than ₦71 million in reported preview earnings and attracting over 12,100 cinema admissions as the long-awaited return of the classic film enters its nationwide theatrical run.
According to figures from the Nigerian Box Office, the movie recorded approximately ₦70 million from 12,134 admissions during its preview period between September 25 and October 1. Its distributor, Nile Entertainment, subsequently announced that the earnings had crossed the ₦71 million mark.
The performance has been described as a landmark opening for a Nigerian faith-based production. The Nigerian Box Office reported that the film’s 12,134 admissions represented the highest first-day admissions figure recorded by a movie in Nigeria in 2026, while its reported ₦70 million gross was the biggest first-day gross for a Nollywood title in the year at that point.
Nile Entertainment has also described the performance as the biggest opening for a faith-based film, the biggest first-day gross for a Nollywood title and the biggest single-day gross for an October release. The distributor further described the preview performance as the biggest single-day preview gross in West Africa.
A 33-Year Return
The achievement carries particular significance because Agbara Nla: The Return revisits a story that first became known to Nigerian audiences more than three decades ago.
The original Agbara Nla was released in 1993 through Mount Zion Film Productions and became a notable title within Nigeria’s Christian film tradition. Its English-language version, The Ultimate Power, followed in 1994.
The new production brings the story into the contemporary cinema era while retaining its central themes of faith, spiritual conflict and the struggle between competing sources of authority.
Veteran Christian filmmaker Mike Bamiloye returns as Isawuru, linking the new production directly to the original film. His sons, Damilola Mike-Bamiloye and Joshua “JayMikee” Mike-Bamiloye, directed the new movie, while Chris Odeh served as producer. The production involves Mount Zion Film Productions, Sozo Films and Circuits, with Nile Entertainment handling theatrical distribution.
From Home Video to the Big Screen
The success of Agbara Nla: The Return also highlights how Nigerian Christian filmmaking has evolved.
The original Agbara Nla reached audiences during an era dominated by television, VHS and home-video distribution. More than 30 years later, the story has returned in a modern cinematic format, giving an entirely new generation the opportunity to experience the franchise on the big screen.
The reported preview performance suggests that the nostalgia surrounding the original film has translated into significant interest in its contemporary revival.
However, the reported ₦71 million should be understood as preview earnings rather than the film’s final box-office total. The movie’s eventual theatrical performance will depend on its nationwide run, audience turnout, screening capacity and its ability to sustain momentum in the coming weeks.
With Agbara Nla: The Return now showing in cinemas across Nigeria, the film has already established a significant early milestone — proving that a story rooted in Nigeria’s Christian film history can return decades later and command substantial attention in the modern theatrical market.
For Mount Zion and the filmmakers behind the revival, the early numbers mark not only a successful return for a beloved title but also a significant moment for faith-based Nigerian cinema.
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