•Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Shaibu Hussaini
Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Shaibu Hussaini, says Nigerian filmmakers must begin to make films that meet global criteria if the country is to stand a chance at the Academy Awards.
Speaking on Channels Television today, Hussaini stressed that entering an award scheme like the Oscars requires deliberate effort and long-term planning.
“The more work that we need to do is to enter an award scheme like the Oscars requires some level of deliberate effort. You don’t just say, ‘Okay, the committee is accepting entries now,’ and then you just take a film from your shelf and put it there. A film that will appear in the 2027 Oscars should start making now,” he said.
According to him, such films should also be showcased at major international festivals and award ceremonies where they can be reviewed by those who sit on the Oscar selection committee.
He explained that films with strong showings at these festivals often stand a better chance of getting global recognition.
Hussaini also pointed out that one of the rules guiding the International Feature Film category is that films must contain at least 51 percent non-English dialogue. He said Nigerian films often fall short of this requirement.
“So, if you just speak maybe pidgin or Yoruba and then you expect them to get 1 or 2 per cent of your local language, the possibility is that it will just be like 40 percent, and you’re out,” he noted.
He further explained that while Nigeria has a commercially-driven industry, the Oscars favour films that are closer to arthouse productions, which must also be technically sound to qualify.
On the recent decision of the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) not to submit any film for the 2026 Oscars, Hussaini said the industry should not feel discouraged.
“For us, it just means we have to go back and do more work. We’re not the only country that will not submit. Even countries like Egypt and Morocco sometimes get to a point where their committee decides none of the films should represent them,” he said.
Hussaini maintained that Nigeria’s film industry remains strong and thriving, but must take deliberate steps if it wants to compete on the global stage.
