Abuja-based rapper and reality TV personality, Usman Umar, popularly known as Soja Boy, has publicly criticized veteran Kannywood actor and Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), Ali Nuhu, accusing him of failing to deliver meaningful development for the northern film industry nearly three years after his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a 25-minute video circulating on social media obtained by The News Chronicle on Saturday, Soja Boy alleged that Ali Nuhu had not facilitated any major projects or contracts for Kannywood practitioners since assuming office, claiming that no initiative worth between N100 million and N200 million had been executed under his leadership.
The rapper contrasted Ali Nuhu’s tenure with that of some Special Advisers whom he claimed had attracted multi-billion naira projects and contracts to their constituencies and sectors.
According to Soja Boy, a public official occupying a position just below ministerial rank should be able to rally musicians and filmmakers, advocate for their interests, and drive positive change within the creative industry.
“He should be summoning musicians and filmmakers and fighting for their rights, not just sitting there and filling among,” he said.
He further alleged that despite occupying a federal office, Ali Nuhu was still seeking acting roles and engaging in data marketing activities instead of focusing on advancing the interests of the northern creative sector.
Soja Boy stated that if he were appointed to a similar position, he would set clear conditions before accepting and would willingly resign if he failed to achieve tangible results within three years.
“Any place I’m not gonna bring productive changes, I don’t want to be there. That’s waste of time,” he said.
The rapper also accused the Nigerian Film Corporation boss of spending much of his tenure attending Kannywood-related events abroad, including trips to India, Paris, London and Germany, allegedly on official government memos, where he mainly took photographs and shared them on social media.
Calling on stakeholders in the northern entertainment industry to take ownership of their future, Soja Boy urged creatives to “choose your leader,” stressing that leaders must actively fight for the interests and rights of their industries.
As of the time of filing this report, Ali Nuhu has not publicly responded to the allegations.
