The agreement was signed at the Cannes Film Festival, where the Nigerian delegation is making an impressive showing through the ‘Screen Nigeria’ initiative.

The NFI transformation is a cornerstone of the government’s ‘Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere’ plan, which aims to generate “2 million jobs and contribute $100 billion to Nigeria’s GDP by 2030” through the expansion of the creative and tourism sectors.

The partnership will “modernize NFI’s facilities, revamp its curriculum, and establish international exchange programs with top film institutions worldwide”.

The agreement builds upon a memorandum of understanding earlier this year in Abuja between the federal ministry of arts, culture, tourism, and the creative economy and Chocolate City Group.

The collaboration will focus on transforming the country’s creative economy and developing small-scale live venues across Nigeria.

The ministry will back the project and collaborate with Chocolate City Group via Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Company (CTICo), the federal government’s new investment arm for creative and tourism infrastructure.

CTICo will provide strategic capital and oversight to ensure the transformation of NFI into a globally competitive institution is fully realized.

Hannatu Musa Musawa, the minister of art, culture, tourism, and the creative economy, emphasised the urgency of the upgrade.

“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,” she said.

“This is precisely the public-private collaboration President Tinubu envisioned when he made the creative economy a pillar of our national development strategy.”

The institute will train 10,000 students over the next decade, with at least 2,000 graduates placed directly into industry jobs.

Chocolate City Group will leverage its extensive network to secure sustainable funding and create pathways to employment across the global entertainment industry.

On his part, Audu Maikori, chairman of Chocolate City Group, said: “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 as Nigeria marks a historic moment at Cannes, with its first-ever official selection ‘My Father’s Shadow’.

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