Produced by Juju Film Studios and Y Film Studios, the film follows a community committee that is confronted with what appears to be an uncomplicated problem: a pothole.
But rather than fixing it, the committee becomes trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of meetings, arguments, procedures and power struggles, as its members gradually become more concerned with the politics of decision-making than the problem before them.
At the heart of the story is Kunle, a young committee member who believes the solution is straightforward — simply fix the pothole.
His insistence on taking action, however, places him in conflict with a system that appears more comfortable discussing, documenting and debating the problem than actually solving it.
The film's central premise is captured in its line: “47 meetings. Zero results. One pothole.”
Ahmed said the story, although set within a fictional community committee, was inspired by a reality that extends beyond the film's setting.
“Although the story is set around a community committee, the idea reflects a much larger reality. The committee becomes a microcosm of a system where bureaucracy can sometimes overshadow action,” Ahmed said.
Rather than approach the subject as a conventional social drama, the filmmaker uses satire and comedy to expose the absurdity that can emerge when institutions become preoccupied with procedure.
The characters take their responsibilities seriously, even as their inability to resolve the seemingly simple pothole problem becomes increasingly ridiculous.
The film stars Eric Nwanso, Kanyin Eros, Sim Baba Jatau, Riyo David, Ifeanyi Okondu and Adekanmbi Nimi. Ahmed takes on multiple creative responsibilities as the writer, director and editor.
Beyond the humour, The Committee examines the consequences of institutions that become more efficient at discussing problems than addressing them.
Some of the characters are primarily interested in authority and procedure, while others focus on documentation, protocol and committee politics. Kunle, on the other hand, embodies the individual who believes that action is sometimes more important than endless deliberation.
For Ahmed, the film is not intended to preach to audiences about the failures of bureaucracy. Instead, he hopes its satirical approach will encourage viewers to recognise elements of their own experiences in the story.
“I want the film to travel, start conversations, and allow different audiences to interpret it through their own lived experiences,” he said.
The Committee is currently being submitted to film festivals whose programming aligns with its themes.
The project was developed as a collaborative production, with Ahmed working closely with the cast and crew to establish the fictional world of the committee and its distinctive characters.
The production team includes cinematographers Samuel Yusuf and Collins Onuwa, production manager Sandra Somorin, location manager John Oghota and behind-the-scenes filmmaker Marvin Onuwa.
Ahmed also pointed to the chemistry and timing among the cast as key elements in delivering the film's comedy. The humour, he explained, relies heavily on the characters maintaining straight faces and treating their responsibilities with utmost seriousness while the situation around them becomes increasingly absurd.
For the filmmaker, one of the most rewarding moments came when the various elements of the production finally came together.
Reflecting on the experience, Ahmed said: “That’s one of those moments as a filmmaker when you realize that something that existed in your head is becoming a real film.”
The official trailer for The Committee is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2026, ahead of the film's festival run.
The trailer will introduce audiences to the committee and its members while offering a first glimpse into the film's comedic tone and the increasingly chaotic attempt to resolve an ordinary pothole.
As the film begins its festival journey, Ahmed hopes The Committee will do more than entertain. He wants its story to prompt audiences to reflect on familiar situations in which meetings multiply, discussions continue and decisions are repeatedly delayed — while the problem remains exactly where it started.