Okanjuwa!

There is a specific kind of Nollywood comedy that requires enormous technical skill to look effortless — the kind where the timing must be perfect, the cast must be locked in, and the direction must be invisible. Okanjuwa! is that kind of comedy, and it pulls it off with the confidence of a film that has nothing to prove and everything to give.

Toyin Abraham, playing a Lagos market woman who accidentally becomes the face of a political campaign after a viral video, is in peak form. Her Mama Okanjuwa is immediately one of her most memorable characters — greedy, loyal, outrageous, and oddly moving. Lateef Adedimeji as her long-suffering husband brings the kind of slow-burn comic exasperation that only comes from two performers who have genuine chemistry.

Director Niyi Akinmolayan shoots Lagos comedy with a precision that makes it look like the easiest thing in the world. Every set piece lands, every supporting character has at least one great moment, and the satirical undertow — a gentle but pointed commentary on how Nigerian politics turns ordinary people into symbols — gives the film more substance than its premise promises.

Kiekie, in her first substantial film role, announces herself as a genuine comedic screen presence. The film is unabashedly fun, and in May 2026, that is exactly what Nigerian cinema needs.

Verdict: Nollywood comedy at its sharpest. Toyin Abraham is untouchable in this space.