The Federal Government has announced a ban on the depiction of money rituals, smoking, and crime scenes in Nollywood movies. Shaibu Husseini, Executive Director/CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), made the announcement during a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood on Wednesday, May 22 in Enugu.
Details of the Ban
Husseini explained that this move aims to prevent the public display of crimes and sanitize the industry. He stated:
“Today, we are facing an industry emergency requiring bold and ambitious actions from all parents, guardians, and stakeholders.”
He highlighted that his predecessor had initially approached the former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, to introduce a subsidiary legislation curbing the display of smoking in Nigerian movies. This discussion expanded to include money rituals, ritual killings, and the glamorization of other crimes.
Official Regulation
Husseini announced:
“I am delighted to inform 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 new regulation, titled ‘Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Nicotine Product Promotion, and Glamorisation display in Movies, Musical Videos, and Skits’ Regulations 2024, has been approved and forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Justice for gazetting.”
Impact on Youth
Husseini emphasized that promoting smoking in films has a detrimental impact on teens and young people, who constitute a significant portion of Nigerian moviegoers. He stated that the board plans to conduct extensive enlightenment campaigns in secondary schools, tertiary institutions, local communities, faith organizations, and other institutions.
Call for Collaboration
He called for collaboration from all stakeholders to develop creative content that discourages smoking and promotes positive health messages:
“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 smoke-free Nollywood. We seek your collaboration to develop content that discourages smoking and promotes positive health messages.”
Implementation
Husseini concluded by noting that the NFVCB, in collaboration with the CAPPA, has created subsidiary regulations to address smoking in movies, as this aspect was not explicitly covered in the existing law. He assured that the NFVCB is prepared to take leadership in this regard and has already begun implementing innovative ways to achieve its mandate.
