Executive Director of the National Films and Video Censors Board, Shaibu Husseini, has said that contrary to widespread reports, NFVCB did not ban money rituals and smoking scenes in home videos.
Husseini said the Board’s statement was misconstrued as it had no intention to stifle creativity but to classify movies in Nollywood properly.
It was reported within the week that NFVCB had urged producers to desist from including scenes with characters smoking and money rituals in their films.
However, at a media parley on Friday, the ED clarified; “What I mentioned in a speech that I have shared here is the existence of a regulation (NFVCB Regulations 2024) that, in line with global best practices, prohibits the Promotion and glamourisation of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco product, Nicotine products in movies, musical videos and skits.
“The regulation aims at discouraging the ‘unnecessary’ depiction, promotion, advertisement, or glamourisation of tobacco or nicotine products in movies, musical videos, and skits. The regulation demands the display of a health warning for necessary smoking scenes that are required for historical accuracy or educational purposes and to depict a negative lifestyle in movies, musical videos, and skits. The required health warning shall be displayed at the commencement of the work and the end.
“Any movie, skit, or musical video that displays or depicts tobacco or nicotine products, brands, or use that is necessary to the realisation of a narrative shall be given the appropriate classification (rating) and shall not be shown to persons below the age of 18. So there is no truth in the ‘headlines’ (that went viral).”
