Nollywood actor Daniel Etim Effiong has narrated how God launched him in the world of acting after being expelled from the Federal University of Technology – Minna  as an engineering student.

“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 shared in an interview with Flame TV.

According to him, the situation took a toll on him as 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.”

Shortly afterward, things shifted dramatically. Effiong recounted that in his first semester at the 300 level, the university released a list of 150 students accused of cult involvement who were to be dismissed, and his name was among them.

“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 explained that his parents hurried to the school to get answers, only to be informed that he would undergo disciplinary hearings.

Amid the uncertainty, Effiong discovered an audition form for the second season of Amstel Malta Box Office, a Nigerian reality show that trains performers, and chose 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.”

Reflecting on it now, Effiong, the director of Nigeria’s hit 2025 film The Herd, believes that the setback turned out to be the answer to his earlier prayers.

“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.”

Now, Daniel Etim Effiong is seen as one of Nollywood’s top actors, recognized for his roles in both movies and TV shows. His journey shows how creative careers can be unpredictable and how challenges can sometimes lead to unexpected opportunities.

He once shared that, although he briefly engaged in womanizing - an act not accepted by many due to morality—he considers it part of his personal growth.

The actor who doubles as an engineer said he eventually realized that toeing the path of womanizing was not going to bring him the fulfillment he desired.

Etim-Effiong explained that, while it may seem fun to be a “player,” the habit can negatively affect one’s ability to commit in the future.

“Maybe there was a period in my life that I was,” he admitted. “I wouldn’t say for long, but they were periods of learning.”

“If you develop that lifestyle, it won’t automatically change overnight,” he said. “When you get married, that muscle hasn’t been developed. So when you face challenges, you may feel like walking away instead of working through it.”

He now uses his experience to advise philanderers, emphasizing the importance of building healthy relationship habits early.

Another celebrity in Ghana's entertainment industry, Incredible Zigi, who is a dancer, also revealed that he used to date numerous women in the early days of his dancing career.

During an interview with the media, he admitted to his past as a Casanova but expressed that he has now chosen to change his ways.

“I used to date a lot of women earlier in my career but when you get to a certain stage you want to keep a solid brand so such women issues just don’t get your attention anymore. You can’t just be playing around like you used to because womanizing wouldn’t take you anywhere but I used to womanize when I started dancing."

Incredible Zigi emphasized that he has successfully abandoned such behaviors, acknowledging that they were merely "time-wasters."

He has learned from his past and has now chosen to focus on more meaningful aspects of his life and career.

“But this is not the time to waste time and energy chasing after women so as for me I’ve paused those kinds of behaviors some years back,” he disclosed.