Entertainment
National Film Institute Matriculates 239 Students
The National Film Institute (NFI), located in Jos, Plateau State has matriculated Two Hundred and Thirty-Nine of its students ahead of their four-year degree programme in film production, with a call on them to take their academic pursuits with utmost seriousness, dedication and concentration.
The matriculation ceremony which took place at the new auditorium of institute’s permanent site (Jos) on Friday January 19th, 2024 was for the 2021/2022- 2022/2023 academic sessions.
In a statement released by Mr Brian Etuk, the media officer of Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC) the agency that oversees tbe film institute, the Rector of the Institute, Prof. Jeremiah Methuselah charged the students to be of good conduct and shun all anti-academic behaviors. He emphasized that the nation and indeed the world awaits them to unleash their potentials in uplifting the capabilities, growth and contributions of the film industry to the national and global economy upon graduation.
The Matriculation ceremony, with the oath taking exercise by the students as its highpoint, he said, is “fundamental to your academic journey”, and therefore compulsory for new students admitted into the Institute. On behalf of the outgoing Chairman of the Governing Council of the Institute/Managing Director, Nigerian Film Corporation Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, and the incoming Chairman of the Institute’s Governing Council/Managing Director, Nigerian Film Corporation, Mr. Ali Nuhu; Prof. Methuselah, also thanked the University of Jos, which the Institute is affiliated, as well as parents, guardians and other regular guests for their continuous support towards the growth of NFI, Nigeria’s premier film institute, that has since in establishment in 1995 trained several Nigerians and foreigners alike, who have become professionals in film production,.
Also speaking at the ceremony Dr. Nancy King, Head of Department of Theater & Film Arts, University of Jos, assured the students of the provision of excellent learning opportunities and mentorship while at the National Film Institute. Dr. King equally charged the students to strive for lofty heights. “You are matriculating into the society of academics world-wide”, she said; just as she reminded them of being embodiments of creativity and content creators. She warned of the dire consequences of unruly behaviour, stressing zero tolerance for any misconduct by any student. Dr. Nancy King was represented by Dr. Ephraim Dankyes.
The Matriculation ceremony which was coordinated by the offices of the Vice Chancellor, and that of the Registrar, University of Jos and led by Mrs. Timbyen Rindop – Secretary, Senate Committee on Affiliation, was preceded by a Pre- Matriculation Lecture and Orientation for the freshmen, on Thursday, January 18, 2024. The Pre-matriculation lecture titled: “Higher Education in Nigeria: Understanding the Past, Interrogating the Present and Predicting the Future” was delivered by Professor Edward Ossai of the Plateau State University, Bokkos.
Prof. Ossai, commended the NFI for among others, sustaining and constantly improving on its training module, academic standard and academic curriculum, given the emerging paradigm shift, emphasis and gravitation towards skilled and entrepreneurial endeavours. According to him, in the next 5-20 years, it is expected that there will be a decline in the interest for non-skilled academic certificate programmes in higher institutions worldwide; given the emergence of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.
The matriculation ceremony was attended by principal officers, lecturers of both the National Film Institute and University of Jos; Management of the Nigerian Film Corporation, parents, guardians, and friends of the students that matriculated.
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Davido has claimed that he started his life in a one-room apartment in a public compound, known locally as a face-me-I-face-you.
The singer made the claim on a song titled CFMF, off his fifth studio album, 5ive, which was released on Friday.
He claimed that he is now living a flamboyant life due to Jesus’s divine intervention.
“Take a step and walk into my life…
Started all the way from face me I face you
Face me I face you
And now, I am living real large all thanks to Jesu
All thanks to Jesu oh,” he sings.
His claim has been met with a groundswell of doubts, especially on social media, as the singer is known to be the son of billionaire businessman Deji Adeleke.
This is not the first time Davido has attempted to paint a grass-to-grace story in his music.
On his debut 2011 single, Back When, Davido claimed many ladies rejected his advances when he had no money but began chasing him after he achieved fame and success.
The song didn’t achieve much commercial success, partly due to the doubts that greeted his claims of humble beginnings, as he was known to be from a wealthy background.
Davido finally gained widespread prominence after the release of his 2012 breakthrough single, Dami Duro, where he embraced his wealthy background and boasted that he was unstoppable as the son of a rich man.
Nigeria’s popular stand-up comedian, Oluwaseyitan Lawrence Aletile, aka Seyi Law, has vowed never to support the presidential ambition of former Labour Party, LP, candidate, Peter Obi.
Seyi Law said he would never support Obi’s presidential ambition due to his failure to call the Obidient movement to order.
In an interview on the Teju Babyface podcast, Seyi Law recalled how Obidients attacked his wife and children because he supported President Bola Tinubu.
He lamented that Obi has refused to admit that Obidients attacked those who did not support him.
According to Seyi Law: “I don’t feel down at all because when you talk too much, I swear for you. One of the good things that God has done for me is that my anger doesn’t last long.
“Personal anger for me doesn’t last long. The only place it lasts long is when you leave me and attack my children, mother, and wife.
“The moment you cross that boundary from me to my children, mother, and wife — there is no forgiveness.
“That is why there is nothing on earth that Peter Obi can do that will make me support him. They (Obidients) attacked my children and my wife.
“As long as Peter Obi will not call them to order and he keeps denying that they are doing that, he will never get my support.
“Let Peter Obi wear the garment of Jesus Christ today — he will never get my support. Hate or love me, my personal way of life is between me and God.
“Any organization that does not support free thinking is a cult.”
Davido, the award-winning Nigerian singer, has released his much-anticipated album ‘5ive’.
The 17-track project, initially slated for release on March 14, finally hit streaming platforms in the early hours of Friday.
In the body of work, Davido features Jamaican singers 450 and Shensea, South African artiste Musa Keys, American musicians Chris Brown and Becky G, and French singers Tayc and Dadju.
Victony, Odumodublvck, Chike and Omah Lay are the Nigerian singers enlisted in the project.
The album’s songs include ‘5ive’, ‘Anything’, Be There Still’, ‘CFMF’, ’10 Kilo’, ‘Offa Me’, ‘Don’t Know’ and ‘R&B’, ‘Awuke’.
Others are ‘Holy Water’, ‘Nuttin Dey’, ‘Titanium’, ‘Lately’, ‘Tek’, ‘Funds’, ‘Lover Boy’s and ‘With You’.
Davido had earlier put out ‘Be There Still,’ ‘Awuke‘ featuring YG Marley, and ‘Funds‘, three tracks off the album.
‘5ive’ is the singer’s fifth studio album.
In December, Davido revealed that the album is “my story, my truth and my growth”.
“My people. The journey continues in 2025 with my new album ‘5IVE’. This is straight from the heart — my story, my truth and my growth,” he said.
On April 5, he also kicked off a five-city tour has Europe and North America in anticipation of ‘5ive’.
Born David Adeleke, Davido rose to fame in 2012 after releasing ‘Dami Duro,’ the second single from his debut album ‘Omo Baba Olowo’.
Since his debut album, he has delivered three other projects including ‘A Good Time’ (2019), ‘A Better Time‘ (2020), and ‘Timeless’ (2023).