The National Orientation Agency, NOA, in partnership with the Lagos International Festival of Animation, LIFANIMA, announced the launch of the Animation Award 2026, calling on all Nigerian animators to showcase their creative interpretation of “Who Is a Real Nigerian?”
With a total prize pool of ₦22.5 million, the competition aims to promote national identity, patriotism, and shared values through the art of animation.
The first-place winner will receive ₦10 million, the second-place winner ₦7.5 million, and the third-place winner ₦5 million.
Calling Nigerian animators
According to the organisers, the NOA Animation Award 2026 is open exclusively to Nigerian animators, both individuals and studios, who are encouraged to create animated films that capture the essence of Nigerian values and collective responsibility.
“Entries must be a maximum of three (3) minutes in 2D, 3D, or Stop motion animation style, along with the creator’s profile, to win from the NOA ANIMATION AWARD featuring a 22.5 million Naira Total Prize!
“That’s ₦10 million for 1st place, ₦7.5 million for 2nd, and ₦ 5 million for 3rd! Plus, all winning entries will air on National Television for 3 months!
The award links the NOA’s effort to nationalise cartoon content with the Nigerian Values Charter (NVC – Citizen Codes) under the National Identity Project. It promotes the use of animation to express the seven national promises and seven citizen codes that define Nigerian values and collective responsibility.
Entries must be submitted via FilmFreeway (www.filmfreeway.com/lifanima) following the standard LIFANIMA process, with the deadline set for June 2026.
This initiative reinforces the synergy between governance and creativity, empowering local talent to tell stories that reflect Nigeria’s identity, culture, and values.
