Nigerians spent more watching films at the theatres in 2022 compared to the three previous years which were negatively impacted by global economic slow down and covid-19 pandemic.
The Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN) said the total value of what movie goers spent at the cinemas last year stood at N6.94 billion.
Mr. Opeyemi Ajayi, National President, CEAN, disclosed in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that there had been an appreciable increase in revenue generation in 2022 compared with the previous years.
“The box office raked in N4.74 billion in 2021, N2.1 billion in 2020, N6.4 billion in 2019 and N5.98 billion in 2018.
Ajayi disclosed that increase in the ticket price and a strong Nollywood industry were partly responsible for the good performance at the Nigerian cinemas.
He added that Nigeria has continued to lead the pack in Africa in terms of recovery being recorded within the creative industry ecosystem.
He also attributed the opening of five new cinemas in the last quarter of 2022 to the appreciable growth in box office revenue.
He added that with at least three more cinemas expected to join the fray this year, coupled with the growing collaboration with Hollywood, the box office in Nigeria is expected to perform even better this year.