AMVCA-nominated Documentary sparks national reckoning on infertility

Not Addressing This Anymore (NATA), a 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA)-nominated documentary, has sparked a fresh national conversation on one of Nigeria’s least-discussed public health issues-infertility, following a landmark screening at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) that transformed a film exhibition into a platform for awareness, education and social change.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Huzzain Bello, NATA made its university debut before a packed audience at the Afe Babalola Auditorium, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, UNILAG, where students, lecturers, healthcare professionals and policymakers gathered to challenge long-held myths and misconceptions surrounding infertility.

The screening, held in the aftermath of the globally observed Fertility Awareness Month in June, was designed to sustain conversations on infertility beyond annual campaigns by bringing the issue into classrooms and encouraging young people to confront the stigma before it becomes entrenched in society.

At the heart of the documentary is a message experts say has been overlooked for decades: infertility is a shared medical condition, not a burden borne by women alone. Medical evidence shows that male-factor infertility, including low sperm count and azoospermia, contributes significantly to fertility challenges among couples. However, prevailing cultural beliefs continue to place disproportionate blame on women.

Speaking after the screening, Bello said the documentary was conceived to replace silence with understanding and empathy.

“This screening was never just for the women in the room. Fertility is a shared experience, and the stigma surrounding infertility will only be broken when young men recognise that this conversation concerns them too,” he said.

The event received institutional support from the Director-General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Husseini, who is also a lecturer at the University of Lagos and played a key role in facilitating the documentary’s screening within the university.

In a significant endorsement of documentary filmmaking as an educational tool, the Pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Prof. Sunday Oloruntola, incorporated NATA into students’ academic work by assigning a written review of the documentary as part of their Continuous Assessment.

The engagement extended beyond the screening as Mrs. Umo Akinselure, a certified fertility counsellor featured in the documentary, led an interactive question-and-answer session on fertility, reproductive health and the emotional challenges experienced by individuals and couples facing infertility.

The programme was supported by The Bridge Clinic, one of Nigeria’s leading fertility and reproductive health institutions, alongside Deen Consult Services, a co-producer of the documentary. The collaboration underscored the growing partnership between the creative industry, academia and healthcare professionals in promoting public health education.

Following its successful UNILAG debut, NATA is set to embark on a nationwide university tour, with confirmed screenings scheduled at Crescent University, Abeokuta; Babcock University; and Nile University, Abuja, when students resume for the October academic session. Discussions are also ongoing with several other tertiary institutions across the country.

Since its release, the documentary has continued to receive widespread recognition. It was selected for the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) 2025, won the Social Impact Award at the Activists Without Borders Film Festival (AWBFF) 2025, and earned a nomination for Best Documentary at the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA).

The producers are now developing NATA into a feature-length documentary, with the aim of expanding conversations on infertility beyond cinema screens and lecture halls to homes, healthcare facilities and public policy spaces across Nigeria.