What Nigeria Watched: 14 Revealing Insights at the Country’s Netflix Habits in 2024

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Cracking the Code: Unpacking Nigerian Viewing Habits on Netflix in 2024. 

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The most-watched movies and series on Netflix Naija offer a treasure trove of insights into Nigerian consumer behaviour. By deciphering this data, film enthusiasts and industry executives can gain a deeper understanding of what resonates with Nigerian audiences.

From genre preferences to content trends, the numbers reveal valuable patterns in Nigerian viewing habits. As the Nigerian film industry continues to evolve, harnessing these insights, especially in these crucial times, will be helpful for creators and producers looking to craft compelling stories that captivate local audiences.

7 Insights from the Top 15 Movies Data

Here are insights into how Nigerian consumers on Netflix engaged with movie content on the streaming service:

1. Nollywood Dominated Viewership with 46.67%

Among the fifteen top titles on Netflix, Nollywood films command the highest viewership, with seven Nigerian titles topping the list. This data suggests that Nigerian audiences strongly favour indigenous content. The standout Nollywood films include Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story, Lisabi: The Uprising, Shina, Adire, House of Ga’a, Tòkunbò, and Something Like Gold. In addition to these, the remaining top films feature three Hollywood productions (Lift, Damsel, and Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire), two Bollywood titles, and one film each from the French (Under Paris), Finnish (Sisu), and South Korean (Badland Hunters) markets.

2. Seven Originals Made the Top 15 List, But Only Two Were Nigerian

Of the fifteen highest-ranking films, only seven were Netflix Originals: Lift, House of Ga’a, Damsel, Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire, Badland Hunters, Tòkunbò, and Under Paris. This underscores Netflix’s continued investment in original productions, even as non-original titles still dominate audience preferences.

Among these seven Originals, only two—House of Ga’a and Tòkunbò—are Nigerian productions. This signals a decline in Netflix’s partnerships with Nollywood compared to previous years. With the platform officially halting the production of original Nigerian titles, 2025 could become the first year without a Nollywood Netflix Original making the top rankings. This shift raises concerns about the future of local content on the platform and Nollywood’s evolving relationship with global streaming giants.

3. Afamefuna Dominated Netflix Nigeria’s 2024 Charts as Nollywood Took the Top 3 Slot

 It’s impressive that Nigerian titles secure the top three spots—Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story, Lisabi: The Uprising, and Shina. Notably, none of these films are Netflix Originals, which highlights the strength of Nollywood content in attracting viewers on its own merit. This raises the possibility that Netflix’s discontinuation of original Nollywood titles may not significantly affect the platform’s overall viewership of Nollywood productions.

4. Lift is the Most-Watched Hollywood Film, Outshining Damsel and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire

Ranked fourth on the leaderboard, Lift, starring Kevin Hart, emerged as the most-watched Hollywood title among Nigerians. Meanwhile, Damsel and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire placed seventh and eighth, securing the second and third spots among Hollywood titles. This suggests that Nigerian audiences prefer a heist comedy over dark fantasy or an epic space opera.

5. Three Nollywood Titles Took the Box Office Route Before Streaming on Netflix

Seven Nollywood titles made it into the top 15 list, but only three had theatrical releases before debuting on Netflix: Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story, Adire, and Something Like Gold. Notably, Afamefuna: An Nwa Boi Story, the most-watched title on Netflix in 2024, first premiered in cinemas before making its way to the streamer.

These three Nigerian films aren’t the only ones to take the box office route before landing on Netflix. Other non-Nigerian titles that followed the same path include Sisu, Maharaja, and Bhagavanth Kesari—none of which are Hollywood productions.

6. No Animation on the List

In contrast to 2023, when the animated film Leo secured the 10th spot on the leaderboard, no animated title made it onto Netflix’s most-watched movies list in 2024. This suggests that animation—whether locally produced or from international studios—remains a less popular choice among Nigerian audiences, reflecting a preference for live-action films over animated storytelling.

7. 2023 vs. 2024: Nollywood’s Changing Dominance

A comparison of the top 15 movies on the platform in 2023 and 2024 reveals a decline in demand for Nollywood titles. In 2023, Nollywood films dominated the rankings, with 11 titles securing spots in the top 15: Jagun Jagun (#1), The Black Book (#2), Ijakumo (#3), A Simple Lie (#4), Before Valentine (#5), The Wildflower (#6), Ijogbon (#8), The Wait (#9), Obara’M (#11), Blood Vessel (#13), and Passport (#15).

However, by 2024, only seven Nollywood films made the list. While Nollywood titles remain the most-watched on the platform, the data suggests a noticeable dip in audience engagement compared to the previous year.

7 Insights from the Top 15 Shows Data

Here are insights into how Nigerian consumers on Netflix engaged with shows on the streaming service:

1. Nollywood’s Struggled in the Show Category, Despite 33.33% Representation

While Nollywood continues to dominate the movie category, its TV shows struggle to attract the same level of viewership among Nigerian audiences. Only five of the top 15 most-watched shows in 2024 were Nollywood productions: Postcards (#2), Oloture: The Journey (#4), Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre (#7), Last Year Single (#10), and War: Wrath and Revenge (#11).

Although this marks a significant improvement from 2023—when only one Nollywood show, Shanty Town, made the top 15—there is still room for growth.

Among these, Postcards stood out as the most-watched Nollywood show. The 2024 Nigerian-Indian Netflix series, created by Hamisha Daryani Ahuja (Namaste Wahala, 2020), is a cross-cultural collaboration between Nollywood and Bollywood. Filmed in Lagos and Mumbai, it features an ensemble cast from both industries, including Sola Sobowale, Richard Mofe Damijo, Tobi Bakre, Rahama Sadau, Rajneesh Duggal, and Nancy Isime. Since its debut, Postcards remained in Netflix’s top 10 for an impressive 106 days, proving its strong appeal.

2. Only Three Netflix-branded Nollywood Titles

In 2024, Netflix featured 12 Nollywood shows, but only three carried the Netflix brand: Postcards, Oloture: The Journey, and Anikulapo: Rise of the Sceptre. In contrast, other notable Nigerian titles such as Last Year Single and War: Wrath and Revenge were not branded by Netflix.

Given Netflix’s current decision not to brand additional Nigerian shows, it is likely that only one or no new branded Nollywood titles will appear in the 2025 data.

3. K-Drama Struggled for Viewership

In 2023, eight K-drama shows featured in the top 15, but in 2024, only three K-dramas—Queen of Tears, Love Next Door, and When the Phone Rings—made the list. This significant drop suggests that Nigerian audiences are increasingly favouring shows from markets beyond South Korea, or the titles presented in 2024 weren’t as strong in 2023.

4. Supacell Dominated as the Most-Watched Show

In 2024, the British series Supacell, created and written by Rapman, emerged as the most-watched show, having lasted in the top 10 shows on the platform for 84 days. Directed by Rapman and Sebastian Thiel, the six-episode action-adventure superhero crime drama premiered on Netflix on June 27, 2024. The series features a talented cast, including Tosin Cole, Adelayo Adedayo, and Eddie Marsan.

5. No South African Show