Nigeria Has Submitted "Dear Ajayi" to the Oscars, So Now We Begin the National Sport of Waiting for Results

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee has chosen Damilola Orimogunje's Dear Ajayi as Nigeria's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2027 Oscars. Congratulations to the team. Now let's do what Nigerians do best: celebrate early, then panic quietly.

First, calm down. Submission is not a nomination. It's like submitting your CV to a company in London. You've sent it, they've confirmed they received it, and the rest depends on forces beyond your WhatsApp status. The film must still pass the Academy's review before it even reaches the shortlist.

The film itself sounds worth the fuss: it's set in 1990s Nigeria and follows two estranged sisters forced to live together while looking after their paralysed mother. Bimbo Akintola, Uzoamaka Power, Tosin Adeyemi and Baaj Adebule star. A story about family, resentment and the NEPA of the heart. Very Nigerian. Very international.

And let's not forget our Oscar history, because it's rich in drama. In 2020, our first entry, Lionheart, was disqualified because most of its dialogue was in English. Think about that: Nigeria's official language is English, and the Oscars said, "Too much English." We have been fined for speaking the language we were given. Since then, Pidgin counts as a non-English language, which means Pidgin finally has an Oscar-approved passport.

We've also skipped the race before. Nigeria didn't submit anything for the 2026 Oscars, its third absence in five years. So this isn't just a film, it's a comeback with luggage.

Now the timeline. Shortlists come on December 15, 2026, and nominations follow on January 21, 2027. Do you see what's happening? The presidential election is on January 16. We will wait for the election results, then, five days later, Oscar nominations. Our blood pressure will not have a weekend.

So, wish Dear Ajayi well. May it clear the Academy's review, make the shortlist, and finally give Nigeria its first nomination in this category.

And if it doesn't, don't worry. We'll still say it was an honour just to be submitted.