Dimbo Atiya: Plateau creative community mourns filmmaker, to preserve his legacy

Members of the creative industry in Jos, Plateau State, have mourned the death of filmmaker Dimbo Atiya, describing him as an astute and resilient practitioner whose contributions helped shape Nigeria’s television and film industry.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Atiya’s death was announced on Thursday.

His death has prompted colleagues and institutions to call for the preservation of his creative works and the recognition of the opportunities he created for younger practitioners during his career.

These comments were made when the entertainment community, alongside representatives of cultural institutions and government agencies, paid a condolence visit to Mr Ajiya’s family on Sunday at their residence in Rayfield, Jos.

The visit was coordinated by filmmakers Debrah Jalmet, JD Luka, and Sibin Benjamin.

Those who attended included Manji Diyal, who represented Aisha Augie, Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC); Ephraim Dankyes, Senior Special Assistant on Arts, Culture and Creative Economy to Governor Caleb Mutfwang; and Brian Etuk, Director of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Film Corporation, who represented its Managing Director, Ali Nuhu.

Plangji Cishak, who led other family members, received the delegation.

Mr Diyal said Mr Atiya’s death was a significant loss to Nigeria’s creative community, particularly at a time when the country’s cultural and film industries were looking towards a new generation of storytellers.

He said the late filmmaker was more than an entertainer, describing him as a creative practitioner who understood the role of the arts in preserving stories, identity, and cultural expressions.

“Dimbo was a storyteller and a creative man who believed in the power of the arts to connect people and preserve our identity. His passing is painful because the industry has lost someone who still had much to contribute,” Mr Diyal said.

He said Mr Atiya’s career also demonstrated the role practitioners from communities outside Nigeria’s major entertainment centres play in developing the country’s creative industry.

Mr Diyal said CBAAC identified with the family because the filmmaker’s work was connected to the broader responsibility of promoting African creativity and cultural expression.

Mr Atiya was a filmmaker, producer, director, writer and showrunner whose career spanned television and film production for more than a decade.

He began his filmmaking career in 2008 and later undertook professional training at the New York Film Academy in New York and California.

He was credited with producing more than 500 television episodes and five feature films, creating work opportunities for hundreds of actors and crew members.

His career included work on major Nigerian television productions such as Sons of the Caliphate, Halita, Still Falling, Drawing Strength, The Plan, Dala Dala, and W.A.R. – Wrath and Revenge.

As a director, Mr Atiya was associated with Sons of the Caliphate, Halita, Drawing Strength, Still Falling and The Plan, among other productions. He also served as co-creator, executive producer, writer and director of The Rishantes, a series produced for Africa Magic and Showmax.

His work earned recognition within Nigeria’s film industry.

In 2022, The Rishantes won the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award for Best Africa Magic Original Drama Series, with Mr Atiya serving as one of the key creative forces behind the production.

His 2019 film Drawing Strength also received significant recognition at the Abuja International Film Festival, where it won five awards, including Outstanding Nigerian Film, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Male Actor, Outstanding Female Actress, and the Golden Jury Prize. Mr Atiya received the directing honour for the film.

Beyond his own productions, Mr Atiya was also involved in initiatives to support emerging filmmakers.

In 2023, he established the Ezekiel Gomos Short Film Fund, which provided ₦1 million in soft funding to two young filmmakers whose projects emerged from a filmmaking competition.

The initiative, according to Mr Atiya at the time, was designed to encourage young filmmakers with talent but lacking the resources to begin their projects.

His involvement in developing younger practitioners was part of his broader contribution to the creative industry, particularly in Plateau State, where Jos has historically been an important centre for film and television production.

Another major project associated with Mr Atiya in the final phase of his career was the planned remake of the classic Nigerian television series Cockcrow at Dawn.

In October 2025, NTA, Natives Filmworks and Mr Atiya’s Innovative Television Kontents entered into a co-production agreement to remake the series, with an initial order of 104 episodes.

The remake was planned for production in Jos and was expected to employ contemporary film technology while targeting both Nigerian and international audiences.

Mr Atiya, through ITK, described the project as an opportunity to push the boundaries of television series production in Nigeria.

The project was particularly significant to Plateau’s creative community because of the connection between the original series and Jos, as well as the city’s long-standing contribution to Nigeria’s film and television industry.

Mr Atiya’s involvement in the project reflected his continuing interest in developing productions that combined Nigerian stories, local talent, and contemporary production standards.

His colleagues said his commitment to the industry extended beyond his own productions.

They described him as a practitioner who continued to create opportunities for actors, writers, directors, crew members, and young filmmakers, even as he built his own career.

Mr Dankyes, who conveyed condolences on behalf of the Plateau State Government, described Mr Atiya’s death as a painful loss to the state’s creative community.

He said Plateau had produced generations of artists, filmmakers, actors and other creative practitioners whose work had helped place the state on Nigeria’s cultural map.

“Dimbo represented the creative spirit of Plateau. His death is a loss not only to his family but also to the arts and entertainment community. We must ensure that the work of people like him is remembered and that their contributions are not allowed to disappear,” Mr Dankyes said.

He said the government would continue to support initiatives aimed at strengthening the creative economy and providing opportunities for practitioners to develop and showcase their talents.

Mr Etuk, who represented the Nigerian Film Corporation’s Managing Director, described Mr Atiya as a committed member of the film community whose passion for storytelling was evident in his work.

He said the corporation considered his death a loss to the film industry beyond Plateau State.

According to him, supporting the creative vision Mr Atiya left behind would be one of the ways to honour his memory.

“Dimbo was part of a generation of filmmakers and creative practitioners who understood that Nigerians must tell Nigerian stories. His work reflected that commitment, and his passing has left a vacuum,” Mr Etuk said.

He also spoke about the need to preserve projects left behind by deceased creative practitioners.

Mr Etuk said such projects should not automatically be allowed to disappear, stressing the importance of documenting their works and, where possible, supporting their completion.

For Mr Atiya’s colleagues, preserving his works is now as important as mourning his death.

They said his filmography, television productions, mentorship initiatives, and contribution to Jos’s creative ecosystem provide a record of a filmmaker who used his career not only to tell stories but also to create opportunities for others.

Responding on behalf of the bereaved family, Mr Cishak thanked the delegation for visiting and for recognising Mr Atiya’s contributions to the entertainment industry.

He said the family was deeply touched by the support from colleagues, government representatives, and cultural institutions.

According to him, Mr Atiya’s passion for his work was evident to those around him, particularly his determination to contribute to the creative community.

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“Dimbo loved what he did. He believed in his work and in the people around him. Knowing that his colleagues and institutions within the industry have come to identify with the family means a lot to us,” Mr Cishak said.

He said the family would welcome constructive efforts to preserve Mr Atiya’s creative legacy and ensure that the works he left behind continued to receive attention.

Sunday’s condolence visit brought together people from different parts of the creative sector, reflecting the relationships Mr Atiya built during his career.

Representatives of cultural institutions, government, and the film industry all stressed the need to ensure that his contributions were not forgotten.

For the Jos creative community, Mr Atiya’s legacy extends beyond the films and television productions he directed or produced.

It also includes the opportunities he created for other practitioners, the young filmmakers he supported, the awards his productions received and his efforts to position Jos and Plateau as important locations for Nigerian storytelling.

As the creative community mourns him, his colleagues said preserving his body of work would be an important part of ensuring that his contribution to Nigeria’s film and television industry continues to inspire those coming behind him.

For those he impacted, Mr Atiya’s stories, productions, and contributions to Plateau State’s creative industry will continue to live beyond his death.