Abolaji Adebayo
In a move that goes beyond International Women’s Day rhetoric, Nigeria’s film industry is getting a dedicated award for gender equity—backed by academia, government, and festival organisers.
The School of Media and Communication (SMC) at Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, has joined forces with the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) to introduce the Best Gender Equity Film (GEF) category. The award will debut at the festival’s 23rd edition, scheduled for October 2026 in Abuja.
The initiative targets persistent gender inequalities through cinema, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 5. Organisers say the annual March 8 celebration of women, while important, has not been enough to drive systemic change.
“The GEF category was conceived to recognise and promote gender-positive films and resist systemic discrimination,” the partnership announced. The award seeks creative, nuanced portrayals of women across familial, social, religious, educational, professional, corporate, and civic roles.
NFVCB Executive Director Dr. Shaibu Husseini described the collaboration as a model for stronger ties between academia, government, and industry, saying it “holds great promise for Nigeria’s film industry.”
Dr. Añulika Agina, Associate Professor of Media Studies at PAU and initiator of the GEF category, explained that the selection criteria will prioritise “productions that shape perceptions of gender equity in ways that are not tokenistic but are nuanced and developmental.”
AIFF founder Mr. Fidelis Duker welcomed the move, noting that the new category “aligns perfectly with our mission to use cinema as a tool for developmental change.”
The PAU-NFVCB-AIFF collaborative is now inviting established and emerging filmmakers from Africa and beyond to submit entries. The partnership also includes industry trainings on equitable storytelling, research, and mentorship to advance gender equity.
