Five filmmakers have been shortlisted for the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, a documentary award with a USD 20,000 prize. The finalists and their films are Peter Oghenetega Oke for Beyond Tarkwa Bay, Feranmi Abiola for Mara Mania, Ummi Bukar for No Food for Lazy Man, Abraham Ayodele Aiwuyuse for Okrika, and Jessica Chinyere for Women of Salt: The Resilience of Ebonyi’s Women.
The five finalists and their films
The Nigeria Prizes announced the shortlist on 25 August 2026. The five documentary films were selected from 11 nominees.
| Filmmaker | Shortlisted documentary | Documented subject matter |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Oghenetega Oke | Beyond Tarkwa Bay | Not stated on the official shortlist page. |
| Feranmi Abiola | Mara Mania | BusinessDay describes an evolving sound, dance, and street culture shaped largely by young Nigerians. |
| Ummi Bukar | No Food for Lazy Man | Not stated on the official shortlist page. |
| Abraham Ayodele Aiwuyuse | Okrika | Not stated on the official shortlist page. |
| Jessica Chinyere | Women of Salt: The Resilience of Ebonyi’s Women | QED reports that it follows women involved in traditional salt production in Ebonyi State. |
The official shortlist confirms the titles and filmmakers, but provides no synopses for Beyond Tarkwa Bay, No Food for Lazy Man, or Okrika. Their titles alone are not enough to establish what those films depict. The Nigeria Prizes’ shortlist announcement lists all five pairs.
What is known about two of the films
Mara Mania
BusinessDay’s 6 September 2026 coverage describes Feranmi Abiola’s film as exploring changing sound, dance, and street culture, shaped largely by young Nigerians. A participant, unnamed in the report, says: “We are cultural architects. It’s our job to document the times.”
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Women of Salt: The Resilience of Ebonyi’s Women
QED reports that Jessica Chinyere’s documentary focuses on women who produce salt traditionally in Ebonyi State, connecting their experiences with livelihood, resilience, community, and identity. QED also reports that the film was selected for the 2024 Eko International Film Festival.
What the prize recognizes
The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts is NLNG’s inaugural documentary filmmaking prize. Its first edition is themed “Identity,” with a focus on Nigerian people, communities, cultures, and changing ideas of what it means to be Nigerian. The announced award is USD 20,000. The Nigeria Prizes reported 98 submissions; the competition narrowed to 11 nominees and then five finalists. These are submission and selection counts, not odds of winning.
NLNG Corporate Communications Manager Anne-Marie Palmer Ikuku told BusinessDay that “Nigeria is constantly evolving,” adding that new cultural expressions sit alongside inherited traditions and that documenting them can preserve stories of who Nigerians are becoming.
Who could enter the inaugural edition?
The rules for the 2026 edition required an original, completed non-fiction documentary of no more than 20 minutes, made between April 2024 and April 2026. Applicants had to be Nigerian and aged 18–35; they could live in Nigeria or abroad. The application deadline was 30 April 2026, so this edition is closed. These requirements apply to the inaugural edition and do not establish the rules for any future competition.
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Has the winner been announced?
The shortlist announcement is not the award result. As of 11 October 2026, the official Nigeria Prizes pages and reporting reviewed here did not verify a winner. QED reported that the winner was expected at NLNG’s Grand Award Night in October, while Within Nigeria’s 10 October update noted that a ceremony had been scheduled for 9 October; a scheduled date by itself does not confirm the outcome. Check the official Nigeria Prizes website or an official NLNG statement for a confirmed result.
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