YABATECH, Threatremeter Launch Filmmaking Centre

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, has entered into a strategic partnership with Threatremeter Nigeria Limited to establish and develop a Centre for Filmmaking and Production, aimed at equipping students and aspiring practitioners with industry-relevant skills for Nigeria's fast-growing creative economy.

Speaking at the event, the Rector of YABATECH, Dr Engr Ibraheem Abdul, said the initiative was conceived to bridge the gap between academic training and the demands of the creative industry. He expressed optimism that the centre would position the college as a major platform for developing the next generation of professionals in acting, directing, production, and other areas of the sector.

According to the Rector, the centre will provide training in acting, directing, and other aspects of film production, with participants expected to acquire professional skills and certification. He said the partnership would also facilitate an exchange of knowledge between academic experts and industry professionals, creating a practice-oriented learning environment in which students acquire skills directly relevant to film and entertainment work.

Abdul added that the college's renewed emphasis on industry partnerships was designed to address the perennial complaint that graduates are not adequately prepared for the workplace. Embedding practitioners in the training process, he indicated, is meant to narrow the distance between what is taught in classrooms and what employers actually require.

Earlier, the Head of the Centre for Filmmaking and Production, Dr Akindele Omotosho, explained that the facility was established to train both students of the college and members of the public in filmmaking and production. Opening enrolment beyond the college's own students widens its reach to people already working in or trying to enter the industry, who may not hold a place at the institution but want structured training.

A representative of the industry partner said the global growth and increasing recognition of Nigeria's film industry made it imperative for the country to match its international visibility with quality professional training. She said the centre would be committed to bringing "the best of the best" into the training of aspiring practitioners.

The new centre is not YABATECH's first move into screen training. The college has previously been associated with a film academy initiative, which was announced in 2015 as a hands-on school offering practical courses in acting for screen, directing, editing, film production and marketing, and cinematography, with a professional diploma awarded after six months. This latest arrangement is a separate partnership with a different industry partner, but it reflects a longer-running interest in building film skills within the institution.

YABATECH has also been expanding its creative and technology offerings more broadly. Earlier this year, the college reaffirmed its commitment to producing industry-ready graduates in animation, running a stop-motion animation workshop designed to help participants create content with global reach, modelled on Nollywood's international success. The institution has additionally been recognised as Nigeria's only pioneer innovation hub (I-hub) institution under UNESCO-UNEVOC, one of only three in Africa, for its work on innovation and graduate entrepreneurship.

The move comes at a time when demand for trained film professionals is rising. Nollywood is widely described as one of the world's most prolific film industries by volume, and Nigerian productions are reaching larger global audiences through streaming platforms and festivals. Industry figures have long argued that the sector's growth has outpaced formal training, leaving many practitioners to learn on the job, and that more structured, certified programmes could raise production standards and improve career prospects for newcomers.

For YABATECH, which is a polytechnic focused on technical and vocational education, a dedicated film centre fits its mandate of practical, skills-based training. Combining that mandate with an industry partner is intended to give the programme access to equipment, working professionals, and real production exposure that a college alone might struggle to provide.

Details such as the centre's start date, course duration, fees, and enrolment capacity were not stated in available reports. As the partnership moves from announcement to operation, those specifics, along with how the certification will be recognised by the industry, will largely determine how attractive the centre proves to students and working professionals seeking structured entry into Nigeria's film sector.