Each awards cycle, different countries’ selection committees decide which film is eligible to be submitted for this category. However, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC), the body charged with carrying out the film selection decided, in spite of some stiff opposition (which saw the resignation of some members of the NOSC (Mildred Okwo and Shaibu Husseini) that no Nigerian film met the guidelines.
Although as far as we know, the NOSC, which is chaired by Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, has yet to give any official explanation. So, in effect, everyone is drawing from their own extrapolations to come up with anything that sounds like a plausible reason/explanation. You may be asking questions like ‘What’s the big deal?’ Or: ‘Must Nigeria submit a film to the Academy Awards?’
It’s a big deal for Nigeria to put a film forward for the Oscars. It isn’t that the heavens will fall, or the world will come to an end if Nigeria doesn’t achieve this but it’s definitely a thing of pride which will further encourage Nigerian filmmakers. I also don’t have problem with the NOSC’s decision to not submit a film although, if I’m being honest, it’s difficult to understand that decision in 2022.