The President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government has prohibited the production and distribution of any movies or cinematography that feature money rituals and glamorising vices.
This was announced by Shaibu Husseini, CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) at an event in Enugu State on Wednesday.
The event was organised by the NFVCB and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).
Movie producers, directors, actors from different parts of the country, and leaders of various guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry were present at the event.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Husseini said, “Today, we are facing an industry emergency requiring bold and ambitious actions from all parents, guardians, and stakeholders. When my predecessor approached the former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, on the need to make subsidiary legislation to curtail the display of smoking in Nigerian movies, he saw the need to include money rituals.
“Others included in the regulation are ritual killings and glamorising other crimes in order to further sanitise 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.”
He added, “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.”
Mr Husseini said the sensitisation programme was to educate stakeholders on the danger inherent in smoking in Nigerian movies.
According to him, besides the health implications, glamorising smoking in films poses a negative influence on teens and young adults, who constitute the largest segment of Nigerian movie viewers.
He said the film board was set to undertake detailed enlightenment programmes in secondary schools, tertiary institutions, local communities, faith groups and other institutions.
The NFVCB boss said, “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.”
He noted that after a series of engagements, the NFVCB, in collaboration with the CAPPA, decided to make “subsidiary regulations” to address smoking in movies since this aspect was not expressly spelt out in the extant law.
