Expelled Student Becomes Top Nollywood Director

When Daniel Etim Effiong saw his name on a university list of 150 alleged cult members facing expulsion, he had no idea it would become the answer to his prayers.

The engineering student at Federal University of Technology in Minna, Nigeria, had been struggling with a calling he couldn't ignore. He felt drawn to acting but had no path from his technical studies to the arts. "I knew nothing but acting in church," Effiong shared in a recent interview with Flame TV.

Weeks before the expulsion notice appeared, he had prayed about his future in a campus field. He says he heard a clear message that he would make films, though he couldn't imagine how.

Then everything fell apart. His name appeared on the expulsion list despite having no connection to any cult activity. While his parents rushed to campus and friends scrambled to study for exams, Effiong sat in uncertainty, facing disciplinary hearings that would end his engineering career.

In the middle of that chaos, he spotted an audition form for Amstel Malta Box Office, a Nigerian reality show that trains performers. He filled it out without overthinking it. "I just filled out the form," he said.

Why This Inspires

The timing was remarkable. Right after his formal expulsion, the audition invitation arrived. Effiong advanced through every stage, making the final cut of 10 housemates selected from across Nigeria. On the show, he received professional training in acting, dancing, performance, and singing.

"At the back of my head, I knew it was an answer to prayers," he reflected. "Everything was happening so fast. It was like a dream."

Years passed before he fully understood how that painful moment had redirected his life. The wrongful accusation that destroyed his engineering path opened the door he'd been praying for.

Today, Effiong stands as one of Nollywood's most respected actors and just made his directorial debut with "The Herd," Nigeria's top performing cinema film of 2025. His story reminds us that closed doors sometimes lead to better destinations than we could have planned ourselves.