By Rita Okoye
The Nigerian Government is collaborating with Chocolate City Group to turn the National Film Institute (NFI) into a world-class film school and production hub. The deal was signed at the Cannes Film Festival under the ‘Screen Nigeria’ initiative, spotlighting Nigeria’s growing global presence in film.
The initiative is part of the ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere’ growth plan, aimed at generating two million jobs and boosting the GDP by $100 billion through the creative and tourism sectors. The project will upgrade NFI’s facilities, curriculum, and global ties, and introduce international exchange programmes.
This follows a previous MoU focused on developing live arenas and strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy. The Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Company (CTICo) will finance and oversee the transformation.
Hannatu Musawa, Nigeria’s Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy emphasized the urgency of the upgrade, saying it will enable Nigerian filmmakers to get world-class training at home. The revamped NFI aims to train 10,000 students in the next decade, placing at least 2,000 into jobs. Chocolate City’s Chairman, Audu Maikori, said the move was vital for sustaining Nigeria’s creative renaissance, while CEO Abuchi Peter Ugwu said the partnership would build a talent pipeline to drive global success for Nollywood.
The announcement coincides with Nigeria’s historic Cannes debut, marking a new chapter for the country’s film industry.
Leave a comment