Nigeria will not be competing in the International Feature Film (IFF) category at the 2026 Academy Awards, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) has confirmed.
In a statement released on Monday, NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus revealed that the committee opened a call for entries in August and received six films for consideration.
However, after a meeting held on September 26, members voted by majority to make a “No Submission” decision effectively closing the process for this year.
Why the Decision?
According to Linus, Nigerian films continue to show remarkable progress and growing awareness of international standards. But despite the improvements, there is still a gap in creative depth and technical precision needed to make Nigerian projects highly competitive on a global stage.
“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,” Linus explained.
The committee has already communicated its decision to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Looking Ahead
Though disappointing, the NOSC emphasized this as a wake-up call for the Nigerian film industry. Linus noted that the committee will be taking more proactive steps to encourage filmmakers to create with the Oscars in mind.
She also urged creatives to study past IFF-nominated films to better understand the category’s expectations and boost the quality of future submissions.
About the IFF Category
The International Feature Film Award is one of the most prestigious categories at the Oscars. It honors a feature-length film produced outside the U.S., with at least 50% of the dialogue in a non-English language.
While Nigeria has made strides in the global film space with Nollywood increasingly commanding international attention this year’s decision marks another reminder of the tough standards of the Oscars stage.