The nation's premier film institute, the National Film Institute (NFI), Jos has been named as one of the beneficiaries of the World Bank/Federal Ministry of Education Science and Technology Education Post Basic (STEP-B) Project.

Other joint beneficiaries for the Centre of Excellence in Multimedia Technology and Cinematography category of the project are the University of Jos, and the University of Lagos.

A letter signed by Prof. M. Adikwu, National Project Coordinator of (STEP-B), Federal Ministry of Education, conveyed the 'No Objection' position of the World Bank to the joint beneficiaries. According to the 'No Objection' approval, the National Film Institute along with the other two Institutions is to commence the processes to draw down on the funds which have been provided for the project. Similarly, series of training programmes have been scheduled for participating/ beneficiary Institutions to ensure a smooth take off of the project.

The STEP-B project is meant to improve the quality, enhance equitable access to, and relevance of science and technology education in Federal institutions at the post basic education level, intended to increase the nation's competitiveness in a globalizing world.

The project provides support for competitively selected Nigerian educational and research institutions with high prospects of emerging as centres of excellence in priority areas of science and technology.

The emergence of the National Film Institute (NFI) as a beneficiary further underscores the giant strides the institution established in 1995, has recorded especially, her great impact in skills acquisition and manpower development for the Nigerian motion picture industry, for which it has earned both local and international recognition.

It will be recalled that the National Universities Commission (NUC) recently approved the affiliation of the National Film Institute to the University of Jos. Also, the first set of graduates were mobilized for the National Youth Service Corpsprogramme this year.