Grants for filmmakers in Nigeria have become a critical part of the industry because it’s full of talents but short on funding. Hence a major difficulty filmmakers face in Nigeria. In order to have their story heard, others have little choice except to take out loans or sell off personal possessions. On the other hand, grants provide a strong substitute: funding that does not need repayment, which encourages creativity without the risk of incurring debt. This article provides the top 5 grants for Nigeria Filmmakers and How to Apply in 2025.

Story Mi Academy

The 2025 documentary film fellowship by story Mi academy for Nigerian film maker  is an intensive 4-month training, production, and mentorship program for Nigerian documentary filmmakers and a  structured development process with expert guidance in which fellows who produce  15-50 minutes of original shot documentary.

The program is in partnership with the acclaimed Nigerian mentors and international industry expert  that is fully funded by the french embassy in Nigeria. The program seek professional filmmakers based in nigeria  that are

• Commited to non-fiction storytelling (no reenactment or fiction)
• It will be available full-time from august to novermber 2025 and also exprience  in editing, filming, or producing (stating your strength and capability)
• Passion about telling real, urgent local stories with themes such as identity, environment, culture, history, or social themes

This program iss stricty for professional with dramatization at fiction reproduction are not accepted the production to produce a documentry film is 2,000,000 with mentorship form a-list directors  the likes of Nnaebue( directoor , no U-turn) and chike oduah (award wining) journalist & filmaker who will train participant  in hand worksho story telling labs and physical editing sessions

Which will be open from August 2025 to  November 2025

Film Lab (British Council)

Film Lab is a multi-year platform established in September 2023 by the British Council targeting up-and-rising filmmakers and TV production to empower them by training them on mobile filmmaking, script development, and the business of film, including mentorship, production, finance, post-production resources, and public presentation. It focuses on short film and scriptwriting. Which  empowers short film grants.Participants will be between the ages of 1835years old  and must be based in Nigeria or the UK (Nigerians in the UK) and possess a minimum of one credit to their name with a script and production bible ready to go for development. Particpant  will recieve and hybrid training session covering technical aspects of business  skills and mobile phone cinematography, equipping them with the necessary tools and knowledge  to excel in their craft.

Their film club, which promotes a vibrant sense of community among aspiring filmmakers, and the platform, which encourages the exchange of insight and a nurturing ground for collaboration, also feature consultant services available to help participants refine their storytelling techniques and strengthen their narratives. strengthen strorytelling  powress  through expert  script consultants and opportunities for  filmaker to present their work to a wider audience for premieres, tours, distribution, and networking opportunities among filmmakers and industry professionals to present their work  to a wider audience. Creating an avenue for acclaimed film festival with active participation

Creative Economy Development Funds  

This is a national  initiative project funding offering  over $100,000 for creating filmmakers (including business entrepreneurs). It supports film production. It was announced by the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, which is open from April 28, 2025, to May 2025, and aims at targeting businesses over $100,000. this is to support small business in the creative sector by providing capital to scale production to expand and build market access as well as unlocking the value  of film right, music catalogs, digital content, and other creative work, right

CEDF offers various funding for creative businesses, including affordable loans and credit facilities across sectors such as film, music, fashion, art, publishing, gaming, and cultured tourism

Participants must then wait for the evaluation process to begin by January 2026 (phase one) and April 2026 (phase two). Application review, project onboarding, incubation, and acceleration for phase one will take place from June to December 2025, with the disbursement of funds starting for phase two. Disbursement will start  on April 1, 2026, while the second phase will open to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small and medium enterprises (Smes) requesting under  $100,000

ARFITT’s  NEFTI NIGERIA COMPETITION AND AWARD 

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is one of the continent’s most prestigious film events, held annually in Lagos, Nigeria. Since its founding in 2010 by Chioma Ude, AFRIFF has become a vibrant hub for African and diaspora filmmakers, industry professionals, and global cinema lovers. AFRIFF  is a notable platform for celebrating African cinema, which hosts the Nefti Nigeria competition and awards.  This organization cherish  the importance of nurturing local talent. Offers hands-on training in directing, screenwriting, post-production. Features a curated selection of features, shorts, documentaries, animations, and student films from across Africa and beyond. This competition offers filmmakers a chance to win up to $5000  in prize money. The funds can be significant and boost your project with a $2000 audience choice award. Honors excellence in categories like Best Feature, Best Director, Best Nigerian Film, and Audience Choice. Few  filmakers wwill be selected  to present a zoom pitch of the film concept to the panel of judges. Finalists receive guidance from NEFTI founder Paul Robinson and pitch their film ideas to a panel of global film industry professionals. Vivica A. Fox (Actress), Bruce Cohen (Oscar-winning producer), and Ted Gagliano (President of Post-Production, 21st Century Fox/Disney). This competition isn’t just about awards—it’s a launchpad for filmmakers to gain international recognition, mentorship, and career-defining exposure. Final films are screened at AFRIFF, with winners announced. live AFRIFF 2025 introduces a dedicated film and content market—a game-changer for African cinema. It connects filmmakers with distributors, investors, and co-production partners.  The next edition is kickstarting November 2– 8, 2025 at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme “Indigenous to Global: Cultural Wealth to Global Prosperity.” tariff build  Collaborations with MTN and international film bodies to boost African content visibility AFRIFF isn’t just a festival—it’s a movement shaping the future of African cinema.

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Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme  

(TEF) is one of Africa’s most powerful philanthropic initiatives, empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs. Since 2015, it has supported over 21,000 entrepreneurs with $100 million in seed capital, training, and mentorship. Gives opportunity World-class business training via the TEFConnect platform And contribute $5,000 in non-refundable seed TeF opens up  networking opportunities across all 54 African countries. To be eligible to apply, you have to a Nigerian and be above 18 years old, and your business must be based in africa and must be an already existing business not older than 5 years. This year, there is a special emphasis on businesses leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and green initiatives. The Tony Elumelu Foundation has renewed its partnership with Google.org to empower African entrepreneurs with AI-integrated business training, in addition to mentoring and seed capital, to shift their perception towards embracing and adopting AI tools in their business operations. You can apply through the TEFconnect and   Applications are to be submitted through TEF’s proprietary digital hub, TEFConnect. The application period falls between January 1, 2025 – March 1, 2025.

Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit their applications well ahead of the deadline.

The program phrase fall between different categories starting with Application & Screening,Training & Mentorship, Business Plan Development, Pitching Competition, Seed Capital Disbursement, Alumni Network Onboarding,

Conclusion:

Nigerian storytellers are stepping forward with bold, authentic voices that deserve the world’s attention in a  fast changing global film landscape. Access to grants, mentorships, and platforms like AFRIFF, Film Lab Africa, NEFTI Nigeria, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation isn’t just about funding—it’s about unlocking possibilities, building sustainable careers, and empowering a new generation to shape culture through cinema