Nollywood has become a major part of the Nigerian entertainment industry. It has gone from just producing one-part movies to generating films of different genres from action, suspense, comedy dramas and has been ranked as the second-largest film producer in the world.
However, the National Film and video censors board (NFVCB) expressed its views concerning certain changes in the industry in a statement presented on Monday, September 6, 2021, at a five-day capacity-building workshop on censorship and classification for selected University of Calabar students. One of the issues that were addressed was the impending ban on movies that celebrate villains.
The regulatory censor’s board was set up in 1993, to regulate film and video production in Nigeria, and according to the board’s CEO, Adedayo Thomas this measure is being taken to effect positive changes in the industry and society at large.
These are some reasons he gave:
Films should be able to identify a societal problem and show what happens to the perpetrators of evil rather than glamorizing or celebrating someone who has done terrible things against the culture or humanity without meting out punishment to them.
He also revealed that some defaulters produce movies without passing through the NFVCB. Hence, the ban is being carried out to ensure that students understand the implication of this and the activities of the board become a part of them.
During the workshop, Thomas disclosed that the board is doing this in line with the Buhari-led administration’s move to monitor hate speech online. Consequently, it has decided to look into movie content released on platforms like YouTube and Google and also monitor script development.
Moreso, he asserted that the government seeks to ensure that filmmakers are making morally upright films intending to protect Nigerian children from societal ills. Thus, it is the sole responsibility of the board to make sure that movie content does not bring up moral decadence in children who are not restricted to viewing the movies.
He concluded that the government together with the NFVCB would now closely monitor to make sure that movies meet the required guidelines.