General News
Lagos Film Academy: Team Artistry Media wins $5,000 Film for Life Project Grant
After announcing a 5,000 USD grant and the third ‘Film for Life Project’ competition, the Lagos Film Academy (LFA) has selected three young aspiring filmmakers, who will have the opportunity to make a short film directed at impacting social change, themed in this edition, is a storyline around the upcoming 2019 general elections in Nigeria.
From over 600 applications received, 9 Finalist were shortlisted and trained by industry experts and Ace movie producers, Emma Uduma and Grace Babasola, alongside LFA Founder, Chris Ihidero on an all-expenses paid three-day boot camp.
The 3 teams, Team Artistry Media, Team Pantheon and Team Nu’Afriqan pitched stories for the ‘Film for Life project’, out of which only Team Artistry Media was selected and emerged winner of the competition.
The winning team, Artistry Media, consists of a dynamic team of three young, passionate individuals ready to make their mark on the film industry and weigh-in with their film on the upcoming 2019 elections.
They include Baridakara Nwilene, the team producer who is from Rivers State, Alfa Faruk Umar, the team writer from Nassarawa State, and Joshua Tostso, the team director from Delta State.
While commending the winners, the founder of LFA, Chris Ihidero, said; “Artistry media was selected because they had the most compelling storyline.
“We had a great time at boot camp and heard an array of ideas during the pitching sessions. The shooting for the short film begins immediately.
“It is also important for us to make an impact with the short film that will be made, with the grant gotten from Global Philanthropy Alliance.
“The upcoming election is a major social happening in Nigeria, hence the need to play our parts with the story that will be told.
A member of the winning team, Joshua Tostso, who was really elated upon being announced as winner said; “I love my team and I can’t wait to make my first film. I’m confident, I believe we will make the best out of what we have learnt in developing our first short film.
“It is going to be good, it’s not going to be mediocre, I can say that.”
Baridakara Nwilene, the team producer also said “The Film for Life project has given me more courage to follow my dreams to becoming a successful filmmaker.
“This experience has taught me to be more focused and hardworking and to always think fast and Smart when making decisions.
“I am forever grateful to God Almighty first, my family and amazing fellow team members for their constant push and encouragements to be better at what I do.”
Alfa Faruk Umar, the team writer, who was equally excited, said; “We believe that one person may not be able to change the world but together as a team we can indeed make a difference.
“Our goal and vision is to make good quality films that can bring about positive change in the world but starting from home, which is Nigeria.”
The short film, which Artistry Media will write, direct and produce themselves, will encourage citizen involvement in the electoral processes and the upcoming Nigerian general elections in February 2019.
Pre-production has commenced, production will follow swiftly after.
LFA is a leading non-profit organization centred around support for young creatives who want to acquire life-long skills and techniques as creatives across the continent, using initiatives like the ‘Film for Life Project’.
Global Philanthropy Alliance (GPA) develops young social entrepreneurs in Africa by funding youth-led or youth-engaged organizations that unleash the power of youth to advance the economic and social health of their families and communities.
Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo has commended the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for expanding access to technology-driven skills with the inauguration of a Skills Acquisition Centre in Owerri.
L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on NASENI, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi; First Lady of Imo State, Barr. Chioma Uzodimma; Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma; EVC/CEO of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu and other dignitaries during the commissioning of the NASENI Skills Acquisition Centre in Owerri North LGA, Imo State yesterday.
The governor described the initiative as a strategic investment in youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and economic development.
The centre, established under the NASENI Sustainable Empowerment Programme (NSEP) in partnership with the Senator representing Imo East Senatorial District, Sen. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, is designed to equip young Nigerians with practical and industry-relevant skills.
Speaking at the inauguration, Uzodimma said technology remained central to Nigeria’s economic growth and lauded NASENI for supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through initiatives that empower citizens.
He said the project would provide young people with practical skills needed to build sustainable livelihoods.
“This is not about giving people fish; it is about teaching them how to fish,” the governor said.
Uzodimma urged that beneficiaries of the programme be supported with start-up capital to enable them establish businesses and create employment opportunities for others.
He also commended NASENI for its continued developmental interventions in Imo and called on the host community and relevant stakeholders to protect the facility.
Responding, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, described the centre as another demonstration of the agency’s commitment to developing the human capital required to drive Nigeria’s industrialisation.
According to Halilu, the centre reflects NASENI’s conviction that industrial development begins with investing in people and equipping them with practical skills.
“The commissioning of this centre is not merely the opening of another facility. It is the opening of opportunities for young Nigerians to acquire practical skills that solve real problems, create businesses and generate employment.
“At NASENI, we believe our greatest investment is in the talent of our people,” he said.
Halilu said the centre would offer training in high-demand areas, including solar installation and maintenance, graphic design and printing, phone repair, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as other vocational and technology-based disciplines.
He explained that the project aligned with NASENI’s strategic focus on creation, collaboration and commercialisation, aimed at strengthening innovation, expanding local capacity and reducing dependence on imported technologies.
The NASENI boss commended Onyewuchi for partnering with the agency to deliver the project.
Onyewuchi said the centre was established to address youth unemployment through skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
He disclosed that beneficiaries would receive support to establish small businesses after completing their training, enabling them to become employers of labour.
The lawmaker said the initiative would contribute to economic growth by empowering young Nigerians with skills relevant to today’s economy.
The commissioning of the centre, according to NASENI, reinforces the agency’s commitment to equipping Nigerians with practical skills, fostering innovation and building the workforce required for Nigeria’s industrial and economic development.
Federal government has launched Credit for Laptops, Internet, Connectivity and Knowledge Digital Devices (C.L.I.C.K.D.), a new consumer credit initiative, to provide affordable financing for locally assembled laptops and other digital devices.
L-R: Mr Uzoma Nwagba, managing director and chief executive officer, CREDICORP, and Dr Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, at the launch
The initiative by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, is aimed at equipping Nigerians with the tools needed to participate in the country’s growing digital economy.
During the launch, Dr Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, described access to credit as critical to improving productivity and driving economic growth.
Dr Tijani said no nation could achieve sustainable development without a strong credit system that enables individuals and businesses to access resources needed to become more productive.
He noted that in today’s digital age, technology has become indispensable for education, innovation and wealth creation.
The minister explained that many talented young Nigerians possess the skills required to succeed in the digital economy but remain constrained by their inability to own computers and other digital tools.
Drawing from his personal experience, Dr Tijani recalled how his first laptop as a student in the university opened doors to international opportunities and eventually inspired him to establish one of Nigeria’s pioneering technology hubs.
He said the new programme would ensure that more young Nigerians are not denied similar opportunities because of financial barriers.
According to him, the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by expanding access to technology, boosting productivity and supporting local manufacturing.
Mr Uzoma Nwagba, managing director and chief executive officer, CREDICORP, described the programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future workforce and digital transformation.
Mr Nwagba said that while improvements in internet connectivity and digital skills training have positioned Nigeria for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, access to devices remains a major challenge preventing many young people from fully participating in the digital economy.
He explained that C.L.I.C.K.D. would bridge that gap by providing affordable consumer credit that enables beneficiaries to acquire laptops and other internet-enabled devices while they develop in-demand digital skills
Federal Government has announced the disbursement of about N333 billion to eight electricity generation companies (GenCos) as part of measures to resolve outstanding debts in the power sector.
The government also disclosed the issuance of a second bond valued at N729 billion to settle verified legacy obligations and improve liquidity within the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
The disclosures were made on Tuesday at an investors’ forum organised by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc in Abuja.
Government representatives said the latest bond issuance marked the completion of the initial phase of the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme, which was designed to address verified liabilities and attract private sector investment across the electricity value chain.
The Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs Olu Verheijen, said the implementation of the first series of the programme demonstrated the administration’s commitment to meeting its financial obligations and improving investor confidence.
Verheijen disclosed that the Federal Government in February 2026 allocated about N501 billion under the first tranche of the programme, comprising N300 billion in cash and N201 billion in non-cash bond instruments to offset verified debts owed to power producers.
She said N333 billion had so far been disbursed to eight participating GenCos operating 17 power plants.
According to her, the government also paid the first coupon of about N63.5 billion on the seven-year bond in full on July 14, 2026.
She explained that the payments had enabled generation companies to meet critical obligations to gas suppliers, lenders and operations and maintenance contractors, thereby improving their operational capacity.
“Markets do not reward promises; they reward performance. Capital follows credibility,” Verheijen said.
She added that the second bond series would further strengthen liquidity in the electricity market and create a more stable financial environment capable of attracting long-term private investment.
The Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme is part of broader Federal Government efforts to address challenges affecting electricity generation, distribution and investment in Nigeria’s power sector.
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