Top 10 Richest Actors In Nigeria 2026, Ranked By Net Worth

Nigeria’s wealthiest screen stars made their money in very different ways. One sold a film to Netflix, one keeps breaking box office records with her own productions, and several have earned from roles, brand deals and public office for more than 30 years. This list of the richest actors in Nigeria covers both actors and actresses, ranked from number one down to number ten, with every figure built by ThrillNG’s own net worth estimate as of October 2026.

How the Ranking Works

Each figure starts with what a Nollywood star at that level earns in a year from film fees, endorsements and paid appearances. It then accounts for how long they have worked, and how much of that money Nigerian earners keep after the naira’s fall since 2023. Income that is on record, such as a film sale or a producer’s share of box office takings, is added on top.

Where two stars share the same range, the one ranked higher has the higher midpoint. Social media following counts too, because brands pay Nollywood stars by the size of their audience.

1. Genevieve Nnaji ($5.5–10 Million)

Genevieve Nnaji is the richest actor in Nigeria, with a net worth estimated at $5.5–10 million. Born on May 3, 1979, she started as a child actress in the TV series Ripples in the 1980s and became the biggest name of Nollywood’s home video era in the 2000s.

Her most valuable deal came in 2018, when Netflix bought the worldwide rights to Lionheart, her first film as a director, ahead of its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was the first Nigerian original film on the platform. Netflix never disclosed the price, but Face2Face Africa reported it at $3.5 million.

Brand money built the rest. In 2012 alone, her deals with Etisalat, Polo and Cintrion were reported at about ₦220 million, on top of a Range Rover ambassadorship. She has kept a low profile since Lionheart, so most of her fortune comes from those peak years, and she still has 7.9 million Instagram followers.

2. Funke Akindele ($3.5–7 Million)

Funke Akindele is Nollywood’s box office queen, and her net worth is estimated at $3.5–7 million. She has broken the industry’s all-time record three times in a row as producer and star of her own films.

A Tribe Called Judah grossed about ₦1.4 billion in 2023, Everybody Loves Jenifa took ₦1.88 billion after its December 2024 release, and Behind the Scenes, released on December 12, 2025, became Nollywood’s first ₦2 billion film. That is more than ₦5.7 billion from three films.

Not all of that is profit. Cinemas and distributors take a large cut, and the cost of making each film comes out before the producer is paid. Her share still makes her the top earner in the industry right now, backed by brand deals and 16 million Instagram followers, and her figure is likely to keep climbing with each December release.

3. Rita Dominic ($2.5–5.5 Million)

Rita Dominic has a net worth estimated at $2.5–5.5 million, built over nearly three decades of picking fewer, bigger roles. Born on July 12, 1975, in Aboh Mbaise, Imo State, she made her professional debut in 1998 and has appeared in more than 100 films.

She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2012. Two years earlier, she co-founded The Audrey Silva Company with director Mildred Okwo, the studio behind The Meeting. Her recent work includes ’77: The Festac Conspiracy and Baby Farm, both released in 2025.

Endorsements are a big part of her income, and her 7.3 million Instagram followers keep her in demand with brands. She now goes by Rita Dominic-Anosike after her 2022 marriage to media businessman Fidelis Anosike.

4. Richard Mofe-Damijo ($2.5–5 Million)

Richard Mofe-Damijo, known as RMD, is the richest male actor in Nigeria, with a net worth estimated at $2.5–5 million. Born on July 6, 1961, in Delta State, he has been a leading man since the late 1980s and still lands major roles in his sixties.

His income has not come from acting alone. In January 2009, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan appointed him Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State, a post he held for years before returning to the screen full time. He also produced his own films, starting with Out of Bounds in 1997.

The return paid off. Films like King of Boys put him back at the top of casting lists, and in May 2024 he received the Industry Merit Award at the 10th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. He has 3.2 million Instagram followers.

5. Ini Edo ($2.5–4.5 Million)

Ini Edo has a net worth estimated at $2.5–4.5 million. Born in 1982 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, she joined Nollywood in 2000 and became a household name after World Apart in 2004.

She moved into producing in a big way with Shanty Town, the crime series that premiered on Netflix on January 20, 2023, where she was an executive producer and played Inem. In 2016, Akwa Ibom governor Udom Emmanuel named her his Special Assistant on Culture and Tourism.

Her biggest asset is her audience. With 13.6 million Instagram followers, she has one of the largest followings of any Nollywood actress, and that keeps her near the top of brand deal lists.

6. Sola Sobowale ($2–4.5 Million)

Sola Sobowale has a net worth estimated at $2–4.5 million, and she earned her biggest fame in her fifties. Born on December 26, 1965, she has worked in Yoruba and English-language films since the early 1990s and broke out on TV in 2001 with Super Story: Oh Father, Oh Daughter.

Her defining role came in 2018 as Alhaja Eniola Salami in Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys. It won her Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2019 Africa Movie Academy Awards. She played the same character again in King of Boys: The Return of the King, the seven-part Netflix series released on August 27, 2021.

She also writes and produces. She scripted, produced and directed Ohun Oko Somida in 2010. More than three decades of lead roles, plus 1.75 million Instagram followers, put her in this top 10.

7. Kate Henshaw ($2–4 Million)

Kate Henshaw has a net worth estimated at $2–4 million from a career that began in 1993. Born on July 19, 1971, in Calabar, Cross River State, she is one of the few stars from Nollywood’s early years who never left the A-list.

She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2008 for Stronger Than Pain. In 2020, she added the Best Supporting Actress prize at South Africa’s Rapid Lion Awards. More than 30 years of steady film fees and brand deals, plus 3.2 million Instagram followers, put her in this top 10.

8. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde ($2–4 Million)

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has a net worth estimated at $2–4 million. Born on February 7, 1978, she started acting in the mid-1990s and has made more than 300 films, earning the nickname Omosexy along the way.

Her biggest moment came in 2013, when TIME named her one of its 100 most influential people in the world. She has also released two music albums and has worked as a United Nations World Food Programme ambassador since 2005. Her 5.5 million Instagram followers keep her valuable to brands, even though she now takes on fewer roles than in her peak years.

9. Ramsey Nouah ($2–4 Million)

Ramsey Nouah has a net worth estimated at $2–4 million. He started on the TV soap Fortunes in 1993, became Nollywood’s “Lover Boy” in the late 1990s, and is now one of its most successful directors.

His first film as director, Living in Bondage: Breaking Free (2019), won him Best Director at the 2020 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story won him the same award again in 2022. In 2024, he launched BRS Studios with partners and directed Tokunbo, which reached Netflix Nigeria’s top 10.

10. Kanayo O. Kanayo ($2–4 Million)

Kanayo O. Kanayo has a net worth estimated at $2–4 million. Born on March 1, 1962, he rose to fame with Living in Bondage in 1992, the film many see as the start of modern Nollywood, and has worked for 34 years since.

He is now a lawyer too. He earned a law degree from the University of Abuja in 2018 and was called to the Nigerian Bar on September 15, 2020, at 58. His long run of lead roles, plus 2 million Instagram followers, keeps him in the top 10.

Who Just Missed the Top 10

Mercy Johnson Okojie is the closest miss at $2–4 million. She has 14.5 million Instagram followers, one of the biggest audiences in Nollywood. She was a Senior Special Assistant on entertainment in Kogi State in 2017 and later became Special Adviser on Public Engagement and Advocacy to the Edo State governor.

Odunlade Adekola and Pete Edochie come next, each at $1.5–3.5 million. Toyin Abraham is in the same range, helped by Alakada: Bad and Boujee, which grossed about ₦500 million, and Oversabi Aunty, which crossed ₦1 billion. Iyabo Ojo is also estimated at $1.5–3.5 million.

Jim Iyke follows at $1.5–2.5 million, and Zubby Michael at $1–2 million. For the women of Nollywood on their own, see the richest Nollywood actresses, and for the music side, the richest musicians in Nigeria.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the richest actor in Nigeria?

Genevieve Nnaji is the richest actor in Nigeria in 2026, with a net worth estimated at $5.5–10 million. Her 2018 Netflix deal for Lionheart and her peak-era endorsements set her apart.

Who is the richest male actor in Nigeria?

Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) is the richest male actor in Nigeria, with a net worth estimated at $2.5–5 million from acting, producing and his years as Delta State’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism.

Who is the richest Yoruba actor?

Funke Akindele is the richest Yoruba actor, with a net worth estimated at $3.5–7 million, and Sola Sobowale follows at $2–4.5 million. Among Yoruba men, Odunlade Adekola leads at $1.5–3.5 million.

Who is the richest Nollywood actress?

Genevieve Nnaji is the richest Nollywood actress, followed by Funke Akindele and Rita Dominic.

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