The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) has announced that no Nigerian film will be submitted for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards. This decision was made after a majority vote by the committee, which received six film submissions in August.
Although Nigerian films have shown significant improvement and growing awareness of International Feature Film standards, the committee cited a deficit in “creative and technical intentionality” as the reason for not submitting any films. The committee believes Nigerian films still lack the intentionality required to compete at the Oscars, despite showing growth and improvement.
“While Nigerian films have no doubt shown significant improvement and growing awareness of IFF standards, there is still a deficit in creative and technical intentionality that will improve their competitive potential for global awards,”
NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus stated that the committee will take proactive steps to guide filmmakers toward Oscar-worthy productions, encouraging them to study previous IFF-nominated works.
This decision marks the third time in five years that Nigeria has not submitted a film for the Oscars, highlighting the challenges faced by Nollywood in meeting global standards.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled for March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angel
