Stakeholders in the Nigerian film industry have appealed to the Federal Government to retain the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) as it begins the implementation of the Oronsaye Report.
The appeal was made in Abuja on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), they emphasised the importance of the NFVCB as the regulatory agency for the motion picture industry. They argued that any changes to the board’s status, such as a merger or subsumption, would be counterproductive and hinder the industry’s contributions to the national economy.
Veteran filmmaker Paul Apel-Papel highlighted the need for a dedicated agency to oversee Nollywood’s affairs, stating, “Nollywood is too large to be without a specific agency like the NFVCB. We need a specific ministry that will focus on Nollywood properly as we grow.”
Apel-Papel also added that Nollywood is the largest employer of labour after agriculture, contributing significantly to revenue generation, job creation, and the global image of Nigeria. He expressed concern that dissolving the NFVCB would deprive the industry of essential support.
National president of the Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN) Habib Mohammed echoed this sentiment, warning that subsuming the board into a ministry would be a setback, adding that “the board’s existence has been crucial to the industry’s growth.”
Acting president of the Film Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN), Emeke Aduah, pointed out the NFVCB’s role in combating the influx of illicit films in the Nigerian market. He argued that scrapping the board would lead to a rise in piracy and negatively impact genuine investors. “The industry will become a dumping ground for all kinds of films, and piracy will thrive,” he warned.
According to reports, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) George Akume had directed the minister of arts, culture, and creative economy Hannatu Musawa to begin the immediate dissolution of the NFVCB.
This directive is aimed at subsuming the NFVCB as a department within the ministry, bypassing the legal process required to repeal the law establishing the Nollywood regulatory agency.
The NFVCB, established by Act No.85 of 1993 (now the National Film and Video Censors Board Act Cap No.40 of 2004 as amended), is empowered by law to regulate the films and video industry in Nigeria, classify all films and videos, and register all films and video outlets/cinemas across the country.
Shaibu Husseini is the director-general of NFVCB.
