Nigeria has chosen Damilola Orimogunje’s period drama, Dear Ajayi, as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, bringing the country back to the Oscars race after skipping the previous edition.

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee, chaired by actress and filmmaker Stephanie Linus, announced the choice after reviewing submissions received during a call for entries that ran through August. Linus congratulated the filmmakers on their selection and wished them well in the next stage of the process.

Written, directed and produced by Orimogunje, Dear Ajayi is a family drama set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s. The film mixes Yoruba, English and Igbo dialogue and is a Nigeria Germany co production. Its cast includes Bimbo Akintola and Uzoamaka Power. It took roughly eight years to develop before shooting began in Ibadan in 2025, and it competed in the Giornate degli Autori section at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival. It opened in select Nigerian cinemas on 18 September, with a wider release set for 13 November through FilmOne.

The selection is only the first step. It does not amount to a nomination, and the Academy will still assess the film’s eligibility alongside entries from other countries. The shortlist will be announced on 15 December, nominations will follow on 21 January 2027, and the ceremony holds on 14 March 2027 in Los Angeles.

Nigeria has never earned a nomination in the category. Its first entry, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, was disqualified in 2019 because most of its dialogue was in English. The country also failed to submit a film for the 98th Academy Awards.