Five documentary films have emerged as finalists for the inaugural Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts (NPCA) on 25 August 2026, following a rigorous judging process, narrowing the field from the 11 nominees unveiled earlier and moving their creators one step closer to becoming the Prize’s first winner.
The five shortlisted documentaries are Beyond Tarkwa Bay by Peter Oghenetega Oke; Mara Mania by Feranmi Abiola; No Food for Lazy Man by Ummi Bukar; Okrika by Abraham Ayodele Aiwuyuse; and Women of Salt: The Resilience of Ebonyi’s Women by Jessica Chinyere.
To view the works of the five shortlisted filmmakers, here is the link: https://www.thenigeriaprizes.org/npca-shortlist-of-five-nominees.
The five works emerged from the inaugural edition of the Prize, which attracted 98 submissions from young Nigerian creatives responding to the theme, “Identity.” The theme invited filmmakers to explore Nigeria, its people, communities, cultures and the evolving sense of what it means to be Nigerian.
Their selection marks another significant stage in the journey of the maiden Prize, as the filmmakers move from the initial pool of entries through the 11-nominee stage to the final shortlist.
The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, sponsored by Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), was established in 2025 to identify, recognise and promote outstanding creative works by young Nigerians aged 18 to 35 years. The US$20,000 Prize provides a platform for emerging documentary filmmakers to tell original Nigerian stories and gain national and international recognition for their work.
The five shortlisted works bring distinct perspectives to the Nigerian experience, continuing the creative exploration of identity that has defined the inaugural edition of the Prize.
From the resilience of women in Ebonyi to life around Tarkwa Bay, the character of Okrika, and other deeply personal and social narratives, the documentaries reflect the diversity of experiences that make up contemporary Nigeria.
The shortlist also underscores the strength of Nigeria’s emerging creative talent and the growing confidence of young filmmakers to tell Nigerian stories from their own perspectives.
Speaking on the progression of the Prize, the Chairperson of the Advisory Board for The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts, Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, noted that the quality and diversity of submissions demonstrated the depth of Nigeria’s emerging creative talent and the ability of young filmmakers to engage thoughtfully with the country’s stories.
With the field now narrowed to five, attention turns to the final stage of adjudication ahead of the announcement of the winner at NLNG’s Grand Award Night in October 2026. The winning documentary will become the first work to receive The Nigeria Prize for Creative Arts.

Anne-Marie Palmer-Ikuku
Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs

Contact for enquiries:
Iwokiri Aprioku
Iwokiri.Aprioku@nlng.com

Disclaimer Notice: This e-mail, and any attachments to it, are confidential and intended solely for the addressee and may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under any applicable law. If you are not the intended addressee, or have received this e-mail and any attachments hereto in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete it and any response string from your system and do not copy, disclose or otherwise act upon any part of this e-mail or its attachments. Regardless of the reasonable steps that have been taken to ensure that this e-mail and any attachment to it have been checked for viruses, internet communications are not guaranteed to be secure or virus-free. Recipients are accordingly advised to carry out their own virus checks, especially before opening an attachment. For the avoidance of any doubt, Nigeria LNG Limited does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for any direct, indirect or consequential loss, damage or other consequence arising from unauthorized access to, or interference with, any internet communications by any third party, or from the transmission of any viruses through this email and/or any attachment to it. The contents of this email do not and shall in no way or manner be construed to constitute an offer; an invitation to offer; infer the acceptance of any offer that has been or is intended to be made; bring into existence any contract or guarantee of work between Nigeria LNG Limited and any person or counter-party or reflect any intention by the sender to create any legally binding or contractual obligations on behalf of Nigeria LNG Limited and/or its shareholders, affiliates or their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives or agents. Nigeria LNG Limited shall only be legally bound by the final terms and conditions set out in full in formal contract documentation expressly approved by it for such purpose after due and formal execution by duly authorized signatories. Nigeria LNG Limited, its shareholders, affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives or agents give no warranty – express or implied – in relation to the reliability, accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this email and/or its attachments, and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for its use, or for reliance on any information contained herein. Any opinion or other information contained in this e-mail, and/or its attachments, that does not relate to the business of Nigeria LNG Limited is personal to the sender and is not given or endorsed by Nigeria LNG Limited. Nigeria LNG Limited may monitor replies to this e-mail for operational or business reasons. Disclaimer Notice: This e-mail, and any attachments to it, are confidential and intended solely for the addressee and may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under any applicable law. If you are not the intended addressee, or have received this e-mail and any attachments hereto in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete it and any response string from your system and do not copy, disclose or otherwise act upon any part of this e-mail or its attachments. Regardless of the reasonable steps that have been taken to ensure that this e-mail and any attachment to it have been checked for viruses, internet communications are not guaranteed to be secure or virus-free. Recipients are accordingly advised to carry out their own virus checks, especially before opening an attachment. For the avoidance of any doubt, Nigeria LNG Limited does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for any direct, indirect or consequential loss, damage or other consequence arising from unauthorized access to, or interference with, any internet communications by any third party, or from the transmission of any viruses through this email and/or any attachment to it. The contents of this email do not and shall in no way or manner be construed to constitute an offer; an invitation to offer; infer the acceptance of any offer that has been or is intended to be made; bring into existence any contract or guarantee of work between Nigeria LNG Limited and any person or counter-party or reflect any intention by the sender to create any legally binding or contractual obligations on behalf of Nigeria LNG Limited and/or its shareholders, affiliates or their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives or agents. Nigeria LNG Limited shall only be legally bound by the final terms and conditions set out in full in formal contract documentation expressly approved by it for such purpose after due and formal execution by duly authorized signatories. Nigeria LNG Limited, its shareholders, affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives or agents give no warranty – express or implied – in relation to the reliability, accuracy, completeness or timeliness of this email and/or its attachments, and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for its use, or for reliance on any information contained herein. Any opinion or other information contained in this e-mail, and/or its attachments, that does not relate to the business of Nigeria LNG Limited is personal to the sender and is not given or endorsed by Nigeria LNG Limited. Nigeria LNG Limited may monitor replies to this e-mail for operational or business reasons.

For Advert, Event Coverage/Press Conference Invite, Story/Article Publication & Other Media Services
Contact Us On WhatsApp
Send Email To: citizennewsng@gma Across Nigeria And The World