The Federal Government has entered into a strategic partnership with the Chocolate City Group to transform the National Film Institute into a world-class film school and production centre.
According to a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Wednesday by Chocolate City, the partnership was formally announced at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where Nigeria is making an “international push” through its “Screen Nigeria” initiative.
The statement reads, “The NFI overhaul forms a key part of ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere’, the government’s plan to create two million jobs and contribute $100bn to GDP by 2030 through the creative and tourism industries.
“Under the new agreement, Chocolate City Group will lead the revitalisation of NFI’s facilities, upgrade its curriculum, and establish global exchange programmes with top-tier film institutions. The transformation aims to close the gap between Nigeria’s burgeoning creative talent and the global standards required for sustained success in film and media.”
Speaking during the announcement, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, emphasised the importance of investing in domestic talent.
She said, “For too long, our most promising filmmakers have had to seek technical training abroad. We’re investing in infrastructure that transforms raw talent into world-class professionals right here in Nigeria, creating both cultural and economic returns. This is precisely the kind of public-private partnership President Tinubu envisioned when he made the creative economy a pillar of our national development strategy.
“The initiative will be supported by the Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Company, the Federal Government’s newly established investment vehicle focused on catalytic infrastructure. CTICo will provide capital and oversight to ensure the institute’s transformation is globally competitive.”
The statement said the announcement also builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year in Abuja, which outlined broader goals including the creation of live event venues, talent development pipelines, global content distribution, and stronger intellectual property protections.
Over the next decade, the revamped institute is expected to train 10,000 students, with at least 2,000 expected to secure direct industry placements.
Audu Maikori, Chairman of Chocolate City Group, underscored the role of education in Nigeria’s creative future, “We’re witnessing Nigeria’s creative renaissance, and education is the foundation that will sustain it. Reimagining film education from the ground up will ensure we prepare students for existing opportunities and empower them to create new ones while putting Nigerian storytelling on the world stage.”
The announcement comes at a milestone moment for Nigerian cinema at Cannes, with the country celebrating its first-ever official selection, ‘My Father’s Shadow’, alongside the acclaimed historical fantasy, ‘Osamede’.
Actor and Managing Director of the National Film Corporation, Ali Nuhu, praised the timing, saying, “Our breakthrough at Cannes with films like ‘My Father’s Shadow’ represents what individual visionaries can achieve. This partnership ensures we’ll soon have thousands more filmmakers with the training and connections to follow in their footsteps.”
The CEO of Chocolate City Music, Abuchi Ugwu, concluded, “We’ve spent two decades nurturing Nigerian creative talent. Our goal with this partnership is to create a self-sustaining pipeline that transforms Nollywood’s potential into real economic opportunity and positions Nigeria as a creative and technical hub for global productions.”