The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has announced plans to restrict the depiction of smoking, ritual killings, and money rituals in movies, music videos, and skits. This move is part of the “#Smoke-Free Nollywood” campaign, launched in collaboration with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).
According to NFVCB’s Executive Director, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, the federal government will prohibit the glamorization of smoking, violence, criminal acts, immoral acts, ritual killings, and money rituals in Nollywood. He described the film industry as facing an “emergency” requiring bold action from parents, guardians, and stakeholders.
Husseini explained that the goal is to eradicate smoking in movies and skits, working towards a “completely smoke-free Nollywood.” He identified the tobacco industry’s tactics to promote smoking but expressed confidence in the government’s ability to counter them.
The NFVCB has forwarded the approved regulations to the Federal Ministry of Justice for gazetting. The regulations prohibit the promotion, glamorization, and display of tobacco products, nicotine products, money rituals, and ritual killings in movies, music videos, and skits.
Industry professionals, including veteran filmmakers and producers, have pledged their commitment to a pro-health Nollywood by signing a pledge to ensure a smoke-free Nollywood.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, emphasized the need for stakeholders to work towards a smoke-free Nollywood to protect Nigerian children and promote a healthy future.
The move has received support from various stakeholders, including the Nigerian Film Corporation, the Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, and the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance.
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