By John Ikani
Nigeria has enacted a ban on the depiction of money rituals and the glamorization of immoral activities in Nigerian films.
Shaibu Husseini, the Executive Director/CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), disclosed this during the National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood in Enugu on Wednesday.
According to him: “today, we are facing an industry emergency requiring bold and ambitious actions from all parents, guardians and stakeholders.
“When my predecessor consulted with the former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, about the necessity of subsidiary legislation to limit smoking scenes in Nigerian movies, he also recognized the importance of addressing money rituals. The new regulation extends to ritual killings and the glamorization of other crimes to further cleanse the film industry.
“Today, I am delighted to announce to you that the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, pursuant to section 65 of the NFVCB Act 2004 has approved the regulation.
“The minister has approved the Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Nicotine Product Promotion and Glamorisation display in Movies, Musical Videos and Skits” Regulations 2024.
“We have also forwarded the approved copy to the Federal Ministry of Justice for Gazette.”
Husseini pointed out that glamorizing smoking in films not only has health repercussions but also negatively impacts teens and young adults, the main audience of Nigerian movies.
He noted that the board is ready to implement comprehensive awareness programs in secondary schools, tertiary institutions, local communities, religious groups, and other organizations.
“As you all know, the film industry occupies a central position in the entertainment and creative sector, and it is imperative that we continue to place the highest premium on the progress of the film industry. The NFVCB supports smoke-free movies and supports smoke-free Nollywood, and we therefore seek your collaboration to develop creative content that discourages smoking and promotes positive health messages.
“After series of engagements, the NFVCB in collaboration with the CAPPA decided to do a ‘subsidiary regulations’ to cater for smoking in movies since this aspect was not expressly spelt out in the extant Law.
The NFVCB is well prepared to take leadership in this regard and has planned and began implementing innovative ways to achieve its mandate,” he said
