The Federal Government has placed a ban on money rituals and glamourising of vices in Nigerian movies.

The Executive Director/CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr Shaibu Husseini, disclosed this at a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood in Enugu on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.

Movie producers, directors, and actors drawn from different parts of the country, as well as leaders of various guilds and associations in Nollywood were present at the event.

Husseini said: “We are facing an industry emergency requiring bold and ambitious actions from all parents, guardians and stakeholders.

“When my predecessor approached the former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, on the need to make subsidiary legislation to curtail the display of smoking in Nigerian movies, he saw the need to include money rituals.

“Others included in the regulation are ritual killings and glamourising other crimes in order to further sanitise the film industry.

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“Today, I am delighted to announce to you that the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu  Musawa, pursuant to section 65 of the NFVCB Act 2004 has approved the regulation.

“The minister has approved the Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Nicotine Product Promotion and Glamorisation display in Movies, Musical Videos and Skits Regulations 2024.”

“We have also forwarded the approved copy to the Federal Ministry of Justice for Gazette.”

The NFVCB boss added that the sensitisation programme was to educate stakeholders on the danger inherent in smoking in Nigerian movies.

According to him, besides the health implications, glamourizing smoking in films poses a negative influence on teens and young adults who constitute the largest segment of Nigerian movie viewers.

He noted that the board was set to undertake detailed enlightenment programmes in secondary schools, tertiary institutions, local communities, religious groups, and other institutions.

It is the duty of the NFVCB to register all film and video outlets across the country and to keep a register of such registered outlets among other functions.

The Star