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Call of My Life has crossed N600 million at the West African box office, becoming the first Nollywood film released outside the December festive season to reach that mark. The romantic comedy is now the highest-grossing Nigerian film of 2026 so far, a striking result for a release that arrived in the quieter mid-year window.
How Call of My Life broke through
Directed by music-video specialist Dammy Twitch in his feature-film debut, Call of My Life follows Soluchi, a call-centre agent trying to recover from heartbreak after being abandoned by her former lover, Kalu. Distributed by FilmOne Entertainment, the film built its run steadily, climbing the charts week after week rather than relying on a single explosive opening.
Earlier in its run, the movie had grossed about N498 million within 24 days, already making it the highest-grossing Nollywood film of the year. Crossing N600 million pushed it into the upper ranks of Nigerian cinema, placing it among the highest-grossing releases in the West African market.
Why the timing is significant
In Nollywood, December is traditionally the season of blockbusters. Families flock to cinemas during the holidays, and studios save their biggest titles for that window. Reaching N600 million outside December is therefore notable, because it shows that audiences will turn out for the right film at any time of year.
The achievement matters for the wider industry. It suggests that strong storytelling and effective marketing can carry a film to record numbers even without the holiday rush. For producers, that is encouraging news, because it widens the calendar of opportunities for major releases.
A debut director makes his mark
That a first-time feature director achieved the milestone is part of the story. Dammy Twitch built his name in music videos, where pacing, visuals and emotion must land in minutes. Carrying that polish into a full-length romance appears to have connected with cinema-goers looking for relatable, well-made local content.
Romantic comedies have proved durable at the Nigerian box office, offering humour, heart and characters audiences recognise from their own lives. Call of My Life leaned into that appeal, and its success may encourage studios to invest more in the genre and in fresh directing talent.
The result also reflects the growing strength of Nollywood’s distribution and cinema network. Films now reach screens across Nigeria and neighbouring countries, allowing a hit to accumulate large numbers over an extended run rather than fading after a single weekend.
Industry watchers will be looking to see how high the film can climb before its run ends, and whether its performance inspires a wave of ambitious mid-year releases. For now, Call of My Life stands as a benchmark, proof that a Nigerian film can rewrite box-office records far from the December crowd.
For Nollywood, the message is clear: audiences are ready to fill cinemas for compelling local stories whenever they arrive. The success adds to a strong year for Nigerian cinema and strengthens the case that homegrown films can compete for attention against international blockbusters on local screens.
