National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) executive director Shaibu Husseini has refuted allegations that he stated the Federal Government had authorised the ban on smoking and money rituals in Nigerian films.
According to a number of news sources, Husseini made the declaration on Wednesday in Enugu during a national stakeholders’ meeting on smoke-free Nollywood.
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and the NFVCB organised the event.
Attendees at the event included officials of several guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry, in addition to producers, directors, and performers from throughout the nation.
However, in a statement on Thursday released on social media, Husseini said in part:
“I did NOT announce a ban on ‘smoking, or smoking, and ritual scenes in movies’ at the (southeast zone) stakeholders engagement on a healthy screen and the campaign to have a smoke free Nollywood which held in Enugu in collaboration with @CAPPAfrica. No, I did NOT.
“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.”
Husseini assured that the NFVCB would not implement any policy that will muzzle creativity. He added:
“Any movie, skit, or musical video that displays or depicts tobacco or nicotine products, brands, or use that is necessary to the realization of a narrative shall be given the appropriate classification (rating) and shall not be shown to persons below the age of 18.”
My attention has been drawn to a couple of trending headlines that suggested that the FG, through the @NFVCB, has “banned smoking and ritual scenes in Movies.” Interestingly, there is no part of the report following the headline where I was quoted to have announced the ban.
— Husseini Shaibu, Ph.D (@igalaman) May 23, 2024
Although we will issue an official position and cause the regulation to be published upon gazetting, I want to assure that as a classification board, we will not implement any policy that will muzzle creativity. Any movie, skit, or musical video that displays or depicts
— Husseini Shaibu, Ph.D (@igalaman) May 23, 2024
Tobacco or nicotine products, brands, or use that is necessary to the realization 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”. @nfvcbng
— Husseini Shaibu, Ph.D (@igalaman) May 23, 2024
