FG Bans Nollywood, Skits & Music Videos From Depicting Ritual Killings, Money Ritual And Smoking
Through Shaibu Husseini-led leadership of the National Films and Videos Censors Board (NFVCB), the federal government has shared its plan to sanitise the film and video industry.
In a chat with the media, TheTalk.NG inclusive, at the NFVCB’s Zonal office in Lagos, Husseini, who is the sixth executive director and director-general of the board, stressed the regulatory body’s need for accurate data to ensure the film and television industry moves to the next stage.
He also spoke about plans to ensure that the motion picture in Nigeria goes smoke-free and engages practitioners and stakeholders in minimal tobacco use. We shouldn’t allow the use of entertainment to promote tobacco smoking. All over the world, film industries have agreed, and Nigeria is a partner in that agreement. If you must show the smoking scene in your film in an extended manner, you must put a warning that cigarette smokers are liable to die young.
“We need to think more about classification than censorship”: Censors board director general Shaibu Husseini. Photo: officialasiwajubat, shaibuhusseiniSource: Instagram
The renowned film critic and member of many film award committees intensified the need for filmmakers to show responsibility in carrying out their duties and not contravene the laws. What we need is content that does not glamourise crime, ritual killings, or things that give us bad names internationally.
The DG also announced plans to embark on a nationwide media literacy campaign to ensure youths are enlightened about what and what not to watch. He said the objective is to also engage women, mostly mothers, in educating them on monitoring what their children watch, which can either mar or make their future.
Husseini also shared his plans to sanitise the motion picture industry in Nigeria while noting that the board has met with content streaming platforms and agreed to flag down or report abusive content that is not supposed to be on.
He explained that Nigeria is a very fragile nation, yet we do things that can set countries apart, but the country remains together. If we continue to aid those activities, the country will decline. Thus, content classification is needed.
Difference between film censorship and classifications
Husseini mentioned the need to draw a line between censorship and classification, as the latter has prevented many creatives from presenting their work to the censor’s board. He said:
“We need to think more about classification than censorship. This issue of censorship has angered most of our stakeholders and kept them away from the board. Classification is when we watch your content and give it the rating it deserves. That rating will be displayed on the content so that when the audience is aware of what they are watching.”
Classifications of skits, short video content and films
The censor’s board boss said that skit-making and other short video content and films would also be controlled for the sanity of the viewing public.
“The board was set up by law to classify any video content produced in Nigeria or imported into the country for exhibition. So, under the new classification rule, we will have a rating on all content. We are going to classify skits, short video content, and films.”
Movement from analogue to digital censorship
The renowned film critic and member of many film award committees explained why people bypass the board and release their films without classification.
“I discovered that one of the reasons people bypass the board and release films without classification is the tedious process of getting your films on DVD. Then, you bring it to the board, and they will constitute a panel that will sit. Once it is 4pm, they close for the day. The filmmaker then waits until another day they meet, and the cycle continues. But in the digital space, there is this thirst for content. For this reason, we have decided to commit ourselves to providing a service that allows filmmakers to stay at home, upload their films, pay online, see how the film is being processed, and print their certificates online.
Mayorkun breaks silence on Nickie DaBarbie’s ritual scandal
Nigerian singer and former Davido’s signee Mayorkun spoke up about the allegation of ritual scandal by influencer Nicki DaBarbie.
In a detailed post via Elon Musk’s X, the singer shared that he was still in shock, as he claimed to have never met the said influencer in person.
The singer noted that the event reminded him of how gullible people on the internet were. He vowed to make her pay for what she did to his name.
Source: TheTalk.NG
