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Five young Nigerian filmmakers have moved into the final race for the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts (NPCA) after their documentaries emerged from a field of 98 submissions on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
The finalists are: Peter Oghenetega Oke, Beyond Tarkwa Bay; Feranmi Abiola, Mara Mania; Ummi Bukar, No Food for Lazy Man; Abraham Ayodele Aiwuyuse, Okrika; and Jessica Chinyere, Women of Salt: The Resilience of Ebonyi’s Women.
Their selection followed a rigorous judging process that first produced 11 nominees before narrowing the competition to five, placing the filmmakers one step away from becoming the Prize’s inaugural winner.
The five shortlisted documentaries can be viewed on the official Nigeria Prize website.
The maiden edition of the Prize challenged young Nigerian creatives to explore the theme “Identity,” examining the country, its people, communities, cultures and the evolving meaning of being Nigerian.
The shortlisted works offer varied perspectives on that theme, ranging from the resilience of women in Ebonyi to life around Tarkwa Bay and the character of Okrika, while exploring broader personal and social experiences.
The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts was established in 2025 and is sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG). It seeks to identify, recognise and promote outstanding creative works by Nigerians aged 18 to 35.
The US$20,000 prize is also designed to provide emerging documentary filmmakers with a platform to tell original Nigerian stories and gain wider national and international recognition.
The strong response to the inaugural edition, which attracted 98 entries, has highlighted the depth of Nigeria’s emerging filmmaking talent and the willingness of young creatives to examine national identity through their own experiences and perspectives.
Chairperson of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, said the quality and diversity of the submissions demonstrated the strength of the country’s emerging creative talent and the ability of young filmmakers to engage thoughtfully with Nigerian stories.
With five finalists remaining, the competition now enters its final adjudication stage.
The winner will be announced at NLNG’s Grand Award Night in October 2026, where the winning documentary will make history as the first recipient of The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts.
