Nollywood actor Daniel Etim Effiong has shared a deeply personal and dramatic account of how being rusticated from the Federal University of Technology – Minna became the turning point that launched his acting career.

Speaking in an interview with Flame TV, Effiong recounted the emotional turmoil he faced as an engineering student who felt called to the arts but had no clear path forward.

“I was at the University of Technology in Minna, and I didn't know how I was going to move from this engineering major to the arts. I knew nothing but acting in church. One day I was praying about it in the field. We used to go to the field in FUT Minna to pray, and I heard the Lord say to me that you would make films,” he said.

He admitted he struggled to understand how that promise could materialise.

“I was like, how would these things be? Immediately he gave me another word. He said the way the bones are formed in the womb of a mother, the way a baby is born in the womb of the mother – you do not know. So you do not know the way of God. You don't know how the spirit of God will bring these things to pass, but it will come to pass.”

Soon after, events took an unexpected turn. Effiong revealed that during his first semester at the 300 level, the university published a list of 150 alleged cult members to be expelled, and his name appeared on it.

“The school came up with a list of 150 cult members to be expelled from the university. My name miraculously found its way on the list. It was just me and God. My friends had exams to write, so everyone was like, 'Daniel, this is so terrible but I will be back with you; I have to go study for the exam,' he explained.

He described how his parents rushed to the school to seek clarification, only to be told he would face disciplinary hearings.

While dealing with the uncertainty, Effiong came across an audition form for the second season of the reality show Amstel Malta Box Office, a Nigerian reality series that trains performers. He decided to apply.

“While all of that was happening, I saw a reality TV show form, and I picked it up. I watched season one and thought maybe I should apply for season two. I just filled out the form,” he said. Immediately after I got expelled from school, I got invited for an audition. It was like a dream.”

He progressed through multiple stages of selection.

“They shortlisted 20 of us from all across Nigeria. After that they shortlisted 10 people to go into the show, and I made the shortlist of 10 housemates,” he recalled. “On that show, we were trained in acting, dancing, performance and singing.”

Looking back, Effiong, who made his directorial debut with Nigeria's best cinema movie of 2025, 'The Herd', believes the experience was the answer to the prayers he had made months earlier.

“At the back of my head, I knew it was an answer to prayers. I knew it was God leading me, but everything was happening so fast. It was like a dream. It did not feel real at all. It was years later that it occurred to me that this is the way the spirit of the Lord was leading me to bring this thing to pass. But I could not see it at the time.”

Today, Daniel Etim Effiong is regarded as one of Nollywood’s notable leading men, known for his performances across film and television. His story offers a glimpse into the uncertainty behind many creative journeys and how setbacks can unexpectedly open new doors.