Nigeria is back in the Oscars race. This time, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee has chosen Damilola Orimogunje’s Dear Ajayi as Nigeria’s official submission.
As a result, the film now enters consideration in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
Meanwhile, NOSC announced the decision on Sunday, October 4. The committee reviewed entries from its August 1–31 submission window. However, Nigeria skipped the 98th Oscars after the committee selected no film. 
Orimogunje wrote and directed Dear Ajayi. The Nigeria-Germany co-production unfolds in southwestern Nigeria during the 1990s.
Meanwhile, the story follows Ade and Titi Ajayi. The estranged sisters must share a home while caring for their sick mother. At the same time, their reunion brings family grief, faith and old conflicts to the surface.
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Bimbo Akintola plays Ade. Tosin Adeyemi plays Titi. Also, Lanre Hassan, William Benson, Antar Laniyan and Uzoamaka Power appear in the film.
The film uses English, Yoruba and Igbo dialogue. In addition, its 115-minute story examines the choices women make within a changing social environment. Furthermore, it explores identity, family duty and independence.
2o9ine Films leads the Nigerian production team. Meanwhile, Mayana Films, Depth and Optics Productions and Zynox Productions joined the project.
Before the Oscar submission, the film gained international attention. Next, Giornate degli Autori selected it for competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. Moreover, that choice made Dear Ajayi the first Nigerian production in the Venice Days competition.
However, the selection does not make the film an Oscar nominee. Still, the Academy needs to check its eligibility. Next, it will consider Dear Ajayi alongside submissions from other countries.
The Academy plans to reveal the shortlist on December 15, 2026. Then, it will announce the final nominations on January 21, 2027. Finally, the 99th Oscars will follow in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027.
For now, NOSC’s decision puts Nigerian cinema back in the international feature conversation. As a result, it gives Orimogunje’s family drama a new global audience.
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