7 Nigerian Books That Deserve Their Own Blockbuster Films

In the world of film adaptations, we often hear about the authors whose stories have practically become Hollywood classics. Some of which include Stephen King, whose works have spawned classics like The Shining, IT, and The Shawshank Redemption, or Jane Austen, whose novels (Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility) have been adapted so many times they might as well have their own film genre.

While these blockbusters are brilliant in their own right, it is high time we turned our gaze to the rich literary landscape of Nigeria. We are sitting on a goldmine of stories that are practically begging for the big screen treatment. Nigerian authors have gifted us with complex plots, wicked humour, and characters so three-dimensional they feel like people we know.

Here are seven Nigerian books that should be made into movies because they have the kind of storytelling power that could captivate both local and international audiences.

Chimamanda’s debut novel has already cemented itself as a Nigerian classic, and honestly, it’s shocking that no filmmaker has snapped it up yet. Purple Hibiscus follows fifteen-year-old Kambili and her brother Jaja, two children growing up in an affluent but deeply oppressive home in Enugu. On the outside, their lives look picture-perfect, but behind the compound walls is a father whose religious extremism and need for control make their lives unbearably rigid.

The story becomes even more layered when the siblings are sent to their aunt’s home, a space full of warmth, freedom, books, laughter, and everything they never knew they were missing. When they eventually return, the tension at home escalates, and Kambili is forced into emotional territory far beyond her years.

A film adaptation would have everything:

• – a compelling coming-of-age arc.

• – a complex, terrifying antagonist.

• – the contrast between two different versions of family life.

• – and the political chaos of a military coup simmering in the background.

You can already imagine the atmospheric shots of 90s Enugu, the stifling silences at home, and the emotional liberation Kambili discovers at Aunty Ifeoma’s house. It’s basically cinematic gold waiting to happen.

Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel reads like a Black comedy thriller made for the screen. The book follows Korede, a no-nonsense nurse who has developed an unfortunate side hobby: cleaning up after her beautiful, charming younger sister Ayoola… who keeps murdering her boyfriends.

Their sibling dynamic is hilariously messy, occasionally disturbing, and always wildly entertaining. Korede is practical, meticulous, and constantly tired, basically the unofficial cleaner of Ayoola’s crimes. Meanwhile, Ayoola floats through life, effortlessly adored by everyone, including the one man Korede actually likes.

This story would make such a good Lagos-set thriller. It’s fast-paced, funny in the darkest way, and different from the genres Nollywood usually leans on. Plus, viewers would absolutely eat up a serial-killer film led by two Nigerian sisters who are chaotic and compelling.

READ ALSO: Oyinkan Braithwaite’s “Cursed Daughters” Tells of Curses and Generational Trauma

If you’ve ever wanted a story filled with drama, secrets, humour, and scandal, all in one polygamous household, this is the story to read. Lola Shoneyin’s novel introduces us to Baba Segi, his lively home, and the four women who keep that home running (and simmering).

When Bolanle, an educated young woman, becomes his fourth wife, she enters a world where her presence is seen as a threat. The older wives close ranks, alliances are formed, and long-buried secrets begin to bubble to the surface.

Told from multiple perspectives, the book is rich with personality and insight into each wife’s past. On screen, this would create a layered, emotional, and often humorous drama. Something between Big Love, Anikulapo, and Desperate Housewives, but with a Nigerian heartbeat.

The eventual revelation at the centre of the story is the kind of twist that would leave cinema audiences gasping and cracking up at the same time.

Now and then, a romance novel comes along that makes readers feel like they’re watching a film already, and this is one of those books. Set between Northern Nigeria and Canada, Broken is a heartfelt love story about Fa’iza Mohammed, a young woman from a conservative Muslim home, and Ahmad Babangida, a man who shares her beliefs but grew up in a more liberal environment.

Their relationship is tender, complicated, deeply emotional, and incredibly relatable for anyone raised in a religious household with strict expectations. The clash between personal desire and cultural boundaries is explored with sensitivity, and the chemistry between the two characters practically lifts off the page.

With the right director, this would become a visually soft, romantic, emotionally intense film.

Adanna is one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish reading it. The novel follows a sixteen-year-old girl whose life takes a dark turn when she is married off to an older man in exchange for financial help for her struggling family.

What unfolds is a long, painful journey through emotional and physical suffering, power imbalances, manipulation, and the suffocating weight of patriarchy. Adanna’s story is harrowing, but it’s also one of courage and eventual defiance.

In the hands of a skilled filmmaker, this could become a powerful social drama, one that starts conversations about girlhood, exploitation, and survival in Nigeria. 

READ ALSO: 7 Fantasy Books Every Magic Lover Should Read

Set in the 1980s, Ogadinma follows a young girl whose life is derailed after a traumatic incident leads to an unwanted pregnancy and a forced relocation to Lagos. There, she is pressured into a marriage that promises safety but delivers violence, control, and emotional devastation.

Ogadinma’s journey from a hopeful teenager fighting to get into university to a young woman navigating a patriarchal world is emotionally gripping. The book tackles heavy topics like domestic abuse, victim-blaming, mental health, and the relentless societal policing of women’s choices.

A film adaptation would be the kind of raw, emotionally charged drama that earns standing ovations at film festivals. 

Buchi Emecheta’s classic novel is long overdue for a film adaptation. The book follows Nnu Ego, a woman whose entire identity is built around motherhood, a role society glorifies yet rarely supports. Set during the upheavals of colonial Lagos, the story examines tradition, expectations, poverty, womanhood, and sacrifice in unflinching detail.

Nnu Ego’s emotional and physical struggles, her resilience, and the social pressures she battles through would make an outstanding historical drama. The novel already reads like a well-structured biopic; all it needs is a camera.

It would resonate deeply with audiences today, especially with conversations around gender roles, motherhood, and the emotional labour women carry.

Nigeria is full of stories, but only a few ever make it to the screen. These books have drama, tension, humour, romance, heartbreak, and political commentary, which is everything filmmakers look for. They also have fanbases that are already locked in.

If Nollywood (or even Hollywood) is searching for its next blockbuster literary adaptation, these seven novels are right there waiting, full of vivid worlds and unforgettable characters ready to be brought to life.