Veteran filmmaker Zeb Ejiro, popularly known as the “Father of Nollywood,” has recalled how a chance encounter at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) helped revive his hopes after multiple companies rejected his first film.
Speaking during an interview on The Legacy Series on June 25, 2026, Ejiro reflected on the challenges he faced while trying to secure support for the project. He said that despite positive feedback about the film, numerous companies declined to take it on.
Seeking another opportunity, Ejiro approached a friend, Ijeuwa, who was working at NTA at the time, and asked for assistance in dubbing the film so he could continue presenting it to potential distributors.
According to Ejiro, his friend explained that he could not immediately help because he worked under NTA’s Director of Programming, Dr. Victoria Ezeokoli, who was in the office at the time.
“I said, ‘Ijeuwa, can you help me dub this thing?’ He said the only way I can dub it is if Madam is not around. He told me to leave the tape with him and that once she went out, he would be able to dub it for me,” Ejiro recalled.
The filmmaker said he agreed to leave the tape behind, a decision that would later prove significant in his efforts to get the film noticed and advance his career in the industry.
