It is not difficult to see why three of the highest-grossing movies in Nollywood for 2022 and 2023 are products of two of the top five actresses with the most followers on Instagram.
These actresses have converted their vast followership into ticket-buying cinema-goers and are reaping the benefits of constantly entertaining their audience.
Meanwhile, those not particularly big on the cinema side have leveraged their followers to get great deals from sponsorships or brand influence.
While others have been able to cash out with their audience via YouTube subscriptions and views
In this article, has compiled a list of the top 10 most followed Nollywood actresses on Instagram.
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1. Funke Akindele has 15.7 million followers
Ace actress and movie producer Funke Akindele leads the pack with an incredible 15.7m followers on Instagram and, to a large extent, is believed to be the queen.
The highest-grossing box office movies in Nollywood for the last three years are Funke ‘s Omo Ghetto: The Saga and Battle on Buka Street. Before then, there was The Return of Jenifa.
Also, for series, Jenifa’s Diary held sway for years and dominated the sitcom industry.
The actress’ large following was built online and offline. However, constant content creation and engagement with her followers have made her the pack’s leader.
2. Mercy Johnson-Okojie is second with 13.5m followers
Kogi state-born movie star Mercy Johnson is the second most followed Nollywood actress in Nigeria with an astonishing 13.5m followers.
The mother of four is another actress who has, over the years, used her platform to engage with her fans constantly; her influence can not be underestimated.
During the 2023 elections, Mercy used her platform to pull thousands of votes for her husband, Prince Okojie. With the help of his wife, the politician emerged as the House of Rep member for Esan South East LGA.
Mercy also uses her following to dominate the cinemas. We recall that her movie, Legend of Inikpi, released in 2020, shattered several records when it hit the box office and still holds on to some records.
3. Regina Daniels has 13m followers on the Gram
The young mother of two, Regina Daniels, is the third most followed Nollywood actress with a followership of over 13 million.
She recently reached this milestone figure and was super proud of it as she couldn’t help but go online to celebrate it.
Her husband, Ned Nwoko, also used Regina’s followership to engage with some of the electorates in Delta South during the 2023 election. The billionaire politician won the position he contested for.
4. Mercy Aigbe is the fourth most followed with 11.2m followers
Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe is another celebrity with a significant following on Instagram. She is 1.8m followers short of Regina Daniels’ followership at 11.2m.
The movie star has also been able to translate her considerable followership into viewers of her content and movies.
She does so through YouTube subscribers and views. Her YouTube page is one of the most subscribed and is growing daily.
5. Toyin Abraham is last on the top five list with 9m followers
Toyin Abraham, another box office queen, is a Nollywood actress and movie producer who has built a vast followership on Instagram and has now translated it into cinema-going fans for her movies.
Mummy Ire, as she is fondly called, holds the record of producing the second highest-grossing movie of 2021 and 2023, coming second only to Funke Akindele.
Toyin is fifth on the list with over 9m followers on IG.
6. Genevieve Nnaji, even in absentia, still has 8.5m followers
Veteran Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji leads the second half of the top 10, and she does so in absentia.
Imagine if she were active and constantly engaging with her fans and followers. Genevieve is the sixth most followed Nollywood actress on Instagram, with 8.5m followers.
7. Tonto Dikeh maintains her influence at 7.4m followers
Controversial actress Tonto Dikeh is the seventh most-followed female movie star on Instagram.
It is worthy of consideration that she achieved this or maintained such a considerable influence even though it’s been over five years since she last featured or starred in any Nollywood movie.
Believe it or not, Tonto is still a force in the Nigerian movie industry. Underestimate her at your peril.
8. Rita Dominic has 7.2m followers
Recently married Nollywood ace Rita Dominic takes up the eighth position on the list with 7.2 million followers.
Rita does this with her subtle command of charisma and class. She built a massive following without featuring in skits or jumping on trending social media challenges.
One has to respect Rita’s control and lure that gave such a following without going the way most other actresses did.
9. Chioma Akpotha is 9th with 6.8m followers
Chioma Akpotha is another Nollywood actress who has grown her brand to such a significant position that one must give her commendation.
The multi-talented actress is one of the surprises and biggest shocks on the list. One would have expected other actresses to feature ahead of her, but here we are; numbers don’t lie. With 6.8m followers, she is the 9th on the list.
10. Iyabo Ojo might be the TikTok queen but on IG, she has 5.9m
Ace Yoruba, actress and skit maker Iyabo Ojo, is Instagram’s 10th most followed Nollywood actress.
One would expect that she would feature higher on the list due to her social media presence of late. However, even at 5.9m followers, it is still a significant accolade. One would have to give it to Iyabo for her unique style of engagement and constant content creation on Instagram and TikTok.
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