Nigeria AI Film Festival (NAIFF) returns this September 2026 at Alliance Française Lagos to continue exploring the growing role of AI in filmmaking across Africa.

Following a strong debut, the festival founded by Obinna Okerekeocha has quickly become a gathering point for filmmakers, technologists, and creatives who are curious about what AI means for storytelling and where it’s all heading.

In its first edition last year, NAIFF recorded over 400 submissions and hosted a mix of curated screenings, panel conversations, and its AI Academy, an initiative focused on giving creatives practical tools for AI-driven production. The director of communications and panel host for the event, Chidera “Odera Collins” Okonji, described the experience as “a necessary disruption,” noting how it challenged familiar ways of telling stories and opened up new creative possibilities.

Many attendees shared similar reflections, describing the festival as immersive, eye-opening, and genuinely educational. For a lot of people, it was their first, hands-on experience seeing how AI is already shaping filmmaking within Nollywood and across Africa.

Building on that momentum, the 2026 edition is set to go even further. This year’s festival will place a stronger emphasis on experimentation, collaboration, and more grounded conversations around the ethical use of AI in film. The goal is simple: to keep pushing what’s possible while supporting the people actually doing the work.

The festival will feature:

• Screenings of selected AI-driven films
• Industry panels and conversations
• Hands-on workshops and training sessions
• Networking opportunities across creative and tech communities

NAIFF continues to position Nigeria within the global conversation on the future of filmmaking, one where technology supports, rather than replaces, human creativity.

Submissions for the 2026 edition opened on May 1 and will close on July 31. Filmmakers, artists, and digital creators are invited to submit works that explore new ways of telling stories with AI.

Speaking on this year’s call for entries, Director of Programs Chisom Ifeakandu described the current moment in filmmaking noted that African storytellers deserve to be at the centre of conversations around AI and creativity.

“We want to see films that use AI not as a gimmick, but as a real tool in service of stories that matter,” she said. “Show us something we’ve never seen before, make it feel true, and make it unmistakably yours.”

As the industry continues to evolve, NAIFF remains focused on building a space where innovation in African cinema can grow in a meaningful and sustainable way.

For submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/NaijaAIFilmFestival

The Federal Government has backed moves to deregulate Nigeria’s airtime credit and data advance market, a step aimed at increasing indigenous participation, promoting competition and reducing capital flight from the country.

The move follows regulatory efforts by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), which has advocated opening the market to Nigerian financial technology firms after years of dominance by foreign service providers.

Sources familiar with the development said President Bola Tinubu approved measures designed to dismantle the long-standing dominance of a South African technology firm, Optasia, in the airtime credit and data advance segment.

According to the sources, the FCCPC argued that the existing market structure had limited competition, restricted local participation and encouraged significant profit repatriation outside Nigeria.

The commission reportedly maintained that opening the sector would align with the Federal Government’s broader economic objectives of promoting local content, strengthening the digital economy, creating jobs and retaining more value within the domestic economy.

Optasia, formerly known as Channel VAS, has operated in the airtime credit and data advance market for about 12 years, providing services primarily to telecommunications operators, including MTN and some of its African affiliates.

The FCCPC is said to have raised concerns about the company’s operational structure and its contribution to Nigeria’s technology ecosystem despite its extensive activities within the country.

According to sources, the commission believes deregulation will encourage innovation, expand opportunities for indigenous fintech companies and support the implementation of the government’s Nigeria First Technology Policy.

“The commission’s position is that opening the market will promote competition, support local technology firms, create employment opportunities and reduce capital flight,” a source familiar with the matter said.

The deregulation initiative is also expected to deepen indigenous participation in Nigeria’s fast-growing fintech industry and reduce foreign exchange outflows associated with technology services.

Sources further disclosed that the FCCPC had presented the Presidency with a list of nine licensed Nigerian companies considered capable of providing airtime credit and data advance services in a competitive market environment.

The commission reportedly argued that local firms possess the technical expertise and operational capacity required to deliver the services currently dominated by foreign operators.

However, sources said Optasia had opposed the deregulation effort through legal and diplomatic channels.

According to the sources, the company has sought judicial intervention while also pursuing diplomatic engagements aimed at preserving its position in the market.

Despite those efforts, the Federal Government is said to have maintained its support for opening the sector to greater competition.

Industry stakeholders believe the move could reshape Nigeria’s digital financial services landscape by encouraging innovation, improving service delivery and creating new opportunities for indigenous technology firms.

Neither the Presidency, FCCPC nor Optasia had issued an official statement on the development as of the time of filing this report.

As part of its commitment to fast-track Nigeria’s digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially approved the 2025 Annual Report and the 2026 Business Plan of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, receives the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) Annual Report from its President, Adesola Akinsanya, after a briefing on the Association’s yearly activities, milestones, and ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s internet and digital landscape

The approval came during a meeting at NITDA headquarters where NiRA’s President, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya led his board members to present the association’s 2026 vision to NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE.

Following the approval, both organisations expressed the resolve to reinforce their collaborative efforts to ensure smooth, rapid execution of their shared goals of increasing the adoption of the .ng domain across

To actualise the business plan, the DG directed NiRA to work hand-in-hand with NITDA’s e-Governance and Digital Economy Department for effective implementation, daily updates, and project tracking.

“You have my full approval for these initiatives. Let us change our strategy, sync up more closely, and ensure everything we have agreed upon during this presentation is fully implemented by next year,” Inuwa declared.

Highlighting some of NiRA’s impressive achievements achievements over the past year, Akinsanya said 98,285 new registrations, 71,470 renewals, and 1,970 restorations were recorded in 2025, while there are 241,000 active domains.

Beyond the numbers, NiRA also implemented important security upgrades, including the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), for a more secure and resilient internet experience for local users, as well as improvements in registrar support and engagement.

Looking into the future, Akinsanya said NiRA is intensifying action to make .ng and .gov.ng domains the gold standard across the country. He expressed gratitude for NITDA’s ongoing support, calling for joint awareness campaigns and digital capacity-building to bring more state governments, local councils, and public institutions under the secure official domain.

Also, the NiRA president added that the association is updating its internal systems, introducing automation, and revising its constitution to meet globally acceptable standards to ensure sustainable growth.

“NiRA is looking into deeper stakeholder engagement and moving into areas where we see massive possibilities. We are specifically targeting startups and aligning with tech events across the country. With stronger collaboration, we can drive widespread adoption across every tier of government’’, Akinsanya said.