The Nigerian Government, through Barrister Hannatu Musawa led-Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy has entered into a partnership with entertainment company, Chocolate City Group, to transform the National Film Institute (NFI).

The recently announced partnership in Cannes, France, is aimed at transforming the National Film Institute (NFI) into a world-class film school and production center.

The agreement was signed during the Cannes Film Festival, where the Nigerian delegation made an impressive showing through the “Screen Nigeria” initiative.

The NFI transformation forms a key component of the Nigerian government’s growth plan, “Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere,” which aims to create 2 million jobs and contribute $100 billion to the nation’s GDP by 2030 through expansion of the creative and tourism sectors. The partnership with Chocolate City Group will completely revitalize NFI’s facilities, curriculum, and industry connections while establishing international exchange programs with leading global film institutions.

This agreement builds upon a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year in Abuja between the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy and Chocolate City Group.

The partnership is also focused on developing small-scale live arenas nationwide, identifying and nurturing talent, creating global distribution channels for Nigerian content, and strengthening intellectual property frameworks.

It was further agreed that the ministry will support the project through the Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Company (CTICo), the Federal Government’s new investment vehicle for catalytic infrastructure in the creative and tourism sectors. CTICo will provide strategic capital and oversight to ensure the transformation of NFI into a globally competitive institution is fully realized.

Currently operating with limited production facilities, the NFI has struggled to meet growing demand from Nigeria’s booming film industry. Despite training hundreds of professionals who now work in Nollywood, the institute’s infrastructure has limited its ability to provide hands-on experience with current technologies.

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.

Reinforcing the importance of education to Nigeria’s creative future, Audu Maikori, Chairman of Chocolate City Group, noted, “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.”

Concluding, Abuchi Peter Ugwu, CEO of Chocolate City Music, explained, “We have two decades of experience nurturing Nigerian creative talents. Our goal with this partnership is to create an ecosystem that nurtures talent from concept to career. We will build a self-sustaining pipeline that transforms Nollywood’s potential into economic opportunity while establishing Nigeria as a creative and technical hub for global productions.”