This marks the third time since 2019 that the NOSC has chosen not to submit a film to the Oscars.
By Joseph Jonathan
The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) has confirmed that Nigeria will not submit any film for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards. The Best International Feature Film award is presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains more than 50 percent non-English dialogue.
In a statement issued on Monday, NOSC chairperson, Stephanie Linus, said the committee opened a call for entries in August and received six films for consideration. After meeting on 26 September, the committee voted by majority for “No Submission”, effectively ending the selection process and notifying the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of its decision.
Linus said the committee acknowledged that Nigerian films have shown improvement and a growing awareness of IFF standards, but that there remains a deficit in the kind of creative and technical intentionality the NOSC believes is necessary to improve the films’ competitive potential at global awards.
The chairperson expressed regret that none of the entries met the committee’s threshold this year and said the NOSC will take more proactive steps to encourage filmmakers to “create with the Oscars in mind”, including urging practitioners to study previous IFF-nominated works to better understand the category’s expectations. The committee’s decision means that, despite local interest and six entries, Nigeria will not be represented in the Best International Feature Film race for the upcoming awards.
This marks the third time since 2019 that the NOSC has chosen not to submit a film to the Oscars. Nigeria’s first ever submission in 2019, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, was disqualified for failing to meet the Academy’s non-English dialogue requirement, sparking widespread debate about language, cultural identity, and global recognition.
The committee again opted for “No Submission” in 2021 and 2022, citing eligibility concerns among the entries received. In other years, Nigeria has made notable submissions: Desmond Ovbiagele’s The Milkmaid was submitted in 2020; C.J. “Fiery” Obasi’s Mami Wata was the country’s official entry in 2023; and Prince Daniel Aboki’s Mai Martaba was submitted in 2024.