Despite Nollywood’s rapid growth and growing global popularity, Nigerian films continue to fall short of securing an Oscar nomination. While the golden statuette remains elusive, the reasons go beyond production quality, weak storytelling, limited marketing reach, and insufficient international exposure. In this report , AFFA ACHO now asks, Why is Nollywood missing the mark, and what exactly isn’t being done right?
For an industry that produces around 2,500 films annually, making it the world’s second-most prolific—this statistic lands like a punch to the gut: no Nigerian film has ever won an Academy Award. Not a single one has even earned a nomination. The contrast with Nigeria’s music industry, which has scored multiple Grammy wins and high-profile collaborations with global superstars, could not be more striking.
In 2025, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) took the unprecedented step of announcing that Nigeria would submit no film for the 2026 Oscars’ International Feature Film category. The committee’s chairperson, Stephanie Linus, delivered a candid assessment: while Nigerian films have shown “significant improvement,” there remains “a deficit in creative and technical intentionality that will improve their competitive potential for global awards” . This decision followed a vote where a majority of committee members opted for “No submission” after reviewing six entries .
But what explains this persistent gap between Nollywood’s domestic dominance and its international awards drought? Why do films that captivate local audiences fail to register with Academy voters? And what can be learned from the few African films that have broken through?
The Eligibility Trap: Rules Before Art
Before any discussion of artistic merit, Nigerian filmmakers must contend with a fundamental reality: the Academy’s eligibility requirements are strict, specific, and frequently misunderstood.
The most notorious hurdle emerged in 2019, when Genevieve Nnaji’s “Lionheart” became Nigeria’s first official Oscar submission—only to be disqualified. The reason? Too much English dialogue. As a co-production with Netflix set largely in professional environments where English is naturally spoken, the film fell afoul of the rule requiring that International Feature entries be “substantially produced in a language other than English” .The disqualification sparked controversy, with director Ava DuVernay among those defending the film, but the Academy held firm .
Dr. Victor Okhai, NOSC member and president of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria, explains that this confusion remains widespread: “People often submit films released on streaming platforms such as Netflix for the Oscars. That is a mistake. Films submitted for the Oscars must be shown in cinemas no less than seven consecutive days, and substantially produced in a foreign language” .
The current criteria for the Best International Feature Film category are precise:
At least 50 percent of dialogue must be in a language other than English
The film must be mainly produced by a production company in the submitting country
It must have a theatrical release in the submitting country, running for at least seven consecutive days in commercial cinemas
Release on streaming platforms alone does not qualify, except during the COVID-19 pandemic when temporary exceptions were made.
This theatrical requirement creates particular challenges in Nigeria’s fragmented cinema landscape. Veteran producer Jerry Isichei, who has worked in Nollywood since 1998, draws a crucial distinction between “cinema movies” and “made-for-TV movies”—a distinction that carries Oscar implications.
“The difference is that those ‘made-for-TV’ are usually small-budget movies where even from the scripting you are conscious of cost,” Isichei explains. “Where a made-for-TV movie may cost you below N5 million, cinema movies can cost about N50 million depending on the script” .
This cost differential creates a Catch-22: cinema exhibition is required for Oscar eligibility, but cinema production carries significantly higher financial risk. Isichei notes that producers typically receive only 30-40 percent of box office revenue after tax, with distributors taking the remainder—a reality that makes producers “circumspect” about investing the substantial sums required for cinema-quality productions .
Language and Identity: The Double-Edged Sword
The language requirement presents a deeper strategic dilemma for Nigerian filmmakers. English serves as Nigeria’s official language and the lingua franca of its diverse population. Films in English reach wider domestic audiences and attract international streaming platforms. Yet this very accessibility disqualifies them from Oscar consideration.
The 2025 Nigerian submission, “Mai Martaba,” succeeded precisely because it embraced indigenous language. Director Prince Daniel’s Hausa-language historical drama about succession in a fictional kingdom met all technical criteria, with substantial dialogue in a language other than English and a three-week theatrical run in northern Nigerian cinemas . Set in the Kingdom of Jallaba, the film explores what happens when a king chooses his daughter as successor, brewing conflict among ruling clans, a story deeply rooted in Hausa cultural traditions .
Yet this linguistic authenticity carries trade-offs. As one industry observer notes, African filmmakers face a paradox: “tell your story in your native tongue and risk limited reach, or make it in English and lose eligibility” . The international marketability that streaming platforms offer often comes at the cost of Oscar eligibility a calculation many producers understandably make when commercial survival takes precedence over awards glory.
However, some argue this requirement ultimately protects African cinematic identity. Makai Ivan M, founder of the African Filmmakers Association, suggests that the Oscars, despite their Western bias, are “indirectly pushing Africa to protect its identity” . The message, he interprets, is to “tell stories in your own language” and “let your creativity be driven by your own people.”
The Campaign Gap: Where the Game Is Really Won
Perhaps the most significant barrier Nigerian films face isn’t on screen, it’s in the sophisticated, expensive machinery of Oscar campaigning.
Winning an Oscar, industry insiders emphasize, requires far more than artistic excellence. “The Oscars have never been just about great filmmaking,” observes a marketing analysis of the 2025 awards. “They’re about strategy, campaigning, visibility, and networking. And this is where many African filmmakers fall short” Consider the campaign infrastructure required for serious Oscar contention. According to IndieWire’s analysis of successful International Feature campaigns, contenders need:
Strategic festival placements at Cannes, Venice, Telluride, or Toronto
A North American distributor with awards expertise (Neon, Sony Pictures Classics, or Netflix)
Private screenings for Academy members, ideally with meals provided (costing up to $40,000 per event)
Publicists who maintain voter lists and track who has seen what
Sustained press coverage and Q&A sessions with filmmakers
“Mai Martaba,” Nigeria’s 2025 submission, illustrates the challenge. While it possessed the ingredients of a strong contender, a compelling historical drama with cultural authenticity , its campaign struggled to gain traction.
The Nigerian government had pledged funding to support the Oscar push, but the money arrived too late to make a real difference in the voting timeline.
The comparison with successful campaigns is stark. Neon, the distributor behind “Parasite” and “Anora,” has mastered the art of the international campaign.
Their strategy for Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” included an “Accidental Tour” across the United States, festival appearances from Telluride to Toronto, and relentless press coverage, all building a narrative around the Iranian dissident filmmaker that resonated with voters .
This machinery doesn’t come cheap. And for Nigerian productions operating on fractions of Hollywood budgets, competing in this arena feels less like David versus Goliath and more like David without a slingshot.
What Winners Do Differently: Lessons From The International Category:
Examining films that have succeeded in the International Feature category reveals patterns that Nigerian productions have yet to fully embrace.
Authenticity of voice, paradoxically, emerges as the first requirement. Films like “Parasite” (South Korea), “Drive My Car” (Japan), and “Roma” (Mexico) succeeded not despite their cultural specificity but because of it. They told stories deeply rooted in their societies while touching on universal themes. “Mai Martaba” attempted this with its exploration of power, gender, and tradition, but translating that specificity into global resonance requires a delicate balance that few films achieve.
Genre innovation represents another common thread. The 2025 Oscars demonstrated this with “Emilia Pérez,” a film that blended crime drama with musical elements, a combination that made it stand out in a crowded field . Nigerian filmmakers, critics suggest, have room to take more creative risks rather than relying on familiar formulas. “Imagine a crime thriller with Afrobeats musical elements or a historical epic with sci-fi twists,” suggests one analysis .
Technical excellence across all departments separates contenders from also-rans. “The difference between a good film and a great one is in the details,” notes a post-Oscars analysis for Nigerian filmmakers. “Seamless editing and crisp sound design make a film feel polished and professional” . While Nigerian productions have improved dramatically in recent years, areas like sound mixing, production design, and editing consistency still lag behind international benchmarks.
Historical ambition offers another avenue. Films like “The Brutalist” and “A Complete Unknown” demonstrate that audiences and voters respond to well-crafted historical dramas. Nigeria’s rich history, from pre-colonial kingdoms to independence struggles to contemporary social transformations remains largely untapped by filmmakers with the resources and vision to treat it with appropriate depth .
The Producer’s Perspective: Economics Before Awards
To understand why Nigerian filmmakers don’t produce with the Oscars in mind, one must understand the economic realities they face.
Jerry Isichei, speaking from three decades of production experience, frames the challenge in business terms: “We, producers, are not just creative. We are also business people. Before I will do a cinema movie for instance, I will critically do my feasibility studies to know if I put this amount of money into this movie. If I am going to make back my money”.
This commercial calculation rarely favors Oscar ambitions. A film designed for awards consideration requires:
- Higher production values across all departments
- Strategic festival placement (with associat2ed submission and travel costs)
- Extended theatrical runs (with associated marketing expenses)
- Campaign infrastructure for international voters
For producers whose primary revenue comes from Nigerian audiences and streaming platforms, these expenses are difficult to justify when the return on investment is speculative at best. The Nigerian film industry, for all its volume, operates on margins that make such investments prohibitive for all but the most well-capitalized producers.
The result is a self-reinforcing cycle: without investment in Oscar-caliber productions, Nigerian films don’t compete; without competition, the incentives to invest remain weak.
Understanding the Oscars also requires understanding the voters a group whose composition and behavior have shifted dramatically in recent years.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has transformed from a Hollywood-centric organization to a truly global body. Non-American voters now comprise 24 percent of the Academy’s approximately 10,000 members. The international voters who opt into the International Feature category number about 2,000—roughly 20 percent of the total voting body.
These voters must watch 12-13 assigned features from the eligible films, though many view 30 or more. They rank films on a preferential ballot to determine the 15-film shortlist, then watch all 15 and rank again for the final five nominees.
This system creates both opportunities and challenges. The expanded, globalised voting body has made the category more competitive and more open to diverse voices. Since 2019, the Oscars have seen an unprecedented run of non-English language films in the Best Picture category, a streak that continues through the present.
But the system also favors films with robust campaign infrastructure. The requirement that screenings be “near the food venue” reflects a practical reality: voters attend when there’s a meal, and meals cost money. “More Academy voters show up when there’s a meal. So the more you spend, the more likely you get people to see your movie” .
For Nigerian films without the backing of a major distributor or government support that arrives on time, penetrating this system remains extraordinarily difficult.
Despite the challenges, those close to the process see reason for optimism provided Nigerian filmmakers take deliberate steps toward Oscar consideration.
Dr. Victor Okhai poses the essential question:
“When you were making your movie, did you have the Oscars in mind?” . This intentionality, he suggests, is the critical missing ingredient. Filmmakers must study previous International Feature nominees and winners, understand the criteria, and make creative and technical decisions with those standards in mind.
Stephanie Linus, following the 2026 no-submission decision, promised that the NOSC would “be taking more proactive steps to encourage filmmakers to create with the Oscars in mind,” urging directors and producers to study previous nominated works.
The Path Forward Likely Requires Multiple Simultaneous Approaches:
Creative intentionality about language, subject matter, and technical quality
Strategic partnerships with international distributors who understand awards campaigning
Government support that arrives on time and is deployed effectively
Festival strategy that builds momentum before Oscar consideration.Industry education about eligibility requirements and production standards
Some African filmmakers question whether the Oscars should be the goal at all. “Maybe what we need is stronger African film institutions, consistent local festivals, and better exhibition systems that make filmmaking profitable without validation from Hollywood,” suggests Makai Ivan M . This perspective challenges the assumption that Oscar recognition represents the ultimate measure of cinematic success.
Yet the desire for recognition persists. Jerry Isichei, when asked about his biggest dream in filmmaking, doesn’t hesitate: “Winning an Oscar nomination” . For him and countless Nigerian filmmakers, the statuette represents not validation of worth, their work already has that, but proof that Nigerian stories can stand on the world’s biggest stage.
The gap between Nollywood and the Oscars is not a verdict on talent. It is a reflection of systems, resources, and strategic alignment. The industry is moving forward. The question now is whether it can align creativity with strategy strongly enough to turn global attention into global recognition.
