11/10/2025
NOA Introduces Animation Award to Promote National Values and Creative Collaboration.
The National Orientation Agency in collaboration with the Lagos International Festival of Animation has announced the NOA Animation Award 2026, a new national initiative designed to celebrate Nigerian creativity, support the growing animation sector and promote national values and cultural reorientation.
Director General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who stated this during the 2025 Festival of Animation Award Night at the Alliance Française / Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, said the initiative embodies the Agency’s vision to connect policy and creativity—using animation as a medium to highlight and promote the seven national promises and seven citizen codes that define Nigerian values and collective responsibility.
Mallam Issa-Onilu said all entries should be submitted via FilmFreeway (www.filmfreeway.com/lifanima), following the standard LIFANIMA submission process, with a deadline aligned to the festival’s annual timeline in 2026.
According to the Deputy Director,
Media and Communication of the agency, Paul Odenyi, in a statement, made available to newsmen, the NOA Animation Award represents a major plank in the Agency’s ongoing efforts to nationalise cartoon content and entrench a recognised Nigerian national identity through the promotion of the Nigerian Values Charter.
He said, ”Exclusively open to Nigerian animators, the award will be presented following a competition that invites entries that explore the theme “Who is a Real Nigerian?” through any of the three accepted styles—2D, 3D, or Stop Motion animation. Each short film presented for the competition must not exceed three minutes in length and must showcase values and character such as resilience, optimism and unity that embody the true Nigerian spirit”
” The total prize value for the competition is twenty two point five million naira, comprising ten million for first place, seven point five million naira for second place, and five million naira for third place”
”The NOA Animation Award reinforces the synergy between governance and creativity, promoting local capacity while advancing the Agency’s mission to project national values through culturally resonant storytelling.’:
”By empowering animators to interpret and express the ideals of the Nigerian Values Charter, the initiative strengthens the shared goal of building a generation that defines—and animates—Nigeria’s identity for the world to see”
The DG of NOA and his delegation participated in the closing ceremonies of LIFANIMA 2025 with other key government figures along with several animators, filmmakers, and creative entrepreneurs.
Mallam Issa-Onilu, the DG of NOA , alongside his counterpart at the National Film and Videos Censors Board, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, and the Director General of the Centre for Black Arts and Civilisation, Aisha Adamu Augie, participated in the presentation of awards to the best animation films celebrated at the festival.
Sam Erhunmwunsee, Radio Nigeria Asaba
