Niyi Akinmolayan’s ‘My Mother is a Witch’ has officially grossed ₦100 million at the Nigerian box office, becoming one of Nollywood’s top theatrical earners in 2025. The drama has steadily gained momentum since its release.
Produced by Anthill Studios, ‘My Mother is a Witch’ delves into the fractured bond between a mother (Mercy Aigbe) and daughter (Efe Irele), set against a tapestry of memory and misunderstanding. The story follows a fashion editor, who returns from London to her Nigerian roots in Benin, only to face lingering childhood wounds tied to her mother.
At the film’s Lagos premiere, which drew an impressive turnout of celebrities, critics, and industry insiders, Akinmolayan described the project as “a risky but necessary story.” Speaking to press, he said, “We’re always looking for ways to tell stories that feel true to us—Nigerian stories that are still entertaining, that celebrate who we are while also poking at our contradictions.”
Director Niyi Akinmolayan, known for hits like ‘The Arbitration’ and ‘The Man for the Job,’ described it as “a risky but necessary story” that celebrates Nigerian culture while poking fun at its contradictions.
The film also marks a reunion between Akinmolayan and lead actress Efe Irele, who previously worked together on ‘Hey You.’ In ‘My Mother is a Witch,’ Irele portrays a woman torn between modern aspirations and deep-rooted fears.
The story, which reportedly came from intimate conversations with friends and collaborators about strained maternal relationships and cultural stigma, has clearly struck a chord with audiences. It taps into familiar fears of being judged, misunderstood, or haunted by a parent’s legacy
Now, with over ₦100 million in the bank, ‘My Mother is a Witch’ cements its place as both a commercial and creative win not just for Anthill Studios, but for Nollywood as a whole. It signals a shift in what local audiences are willing to embrace and makes a strong case for more genre-bending Nigerian films in cinemas.
