Ferdinand Ekechukwu
‘Dear Ajayi’, a family drama directed and produced by Damilola Orimogunje, has been selected as Nigeria’s official submission for the International Feature Film category of the 2027 Academy Awards. The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) announced the decision after reviewing films submitted during its month-long call for entries, which ran from 1 to 31 August.
‘Dear Ajayi’ is a Nigeria-Germany co-production set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s. The family drama follows Ade and Titi Ajayi, two estranged sisters forced to live together and care for their paralysed mother. Ade, a devout Christian and the family’s breadwinner, struggles to understand Titi, an aspiring singer whose independent spirit challenges the expectations placed on her.
The film stars Bimbo Akintola, Uzoamaka Power, Tosin Adeyemi and Baaj Adebule, among others. The selection does not, however, constitute automatic Oscar nomination. The Academy will assess the film’s eligibility alongside submissions from other countries before voting determines the 15-film shortlist and, subsequently, the five nominees.
For the 2025 Oscars, Nigeria selected Mai Martaba, an epic Hausa-language film, while Mami Wata represented the country at the 96th Academy Awards. In 2021, The Milkmaid made history as the first Nigerian film accepted into the Oscars’ International Feature Film category, although it did not advance to the final shortlist.