What Is Nollywood Without Classification, Censoring And NFVCB?

BY GBENGA BADA 

The word regulatory simply connotes the existing legal and regulatory framework of anything. In the same vein, the Cambridge Dictionary depicts the word regulatory as, of or relating to a person or organisation whose job is to control an activity or process or to the regulations themselves.

According to the Nigerian constitution, NFVCB draws its regulatory power from Act No. 85 of 1993 which states as follows:

(a) to licence- (i) a person to exhibit films and video works; (ii) a premises for the purposes of exhibiting films and video works;

(b) to censor films and video works;

(c) to regulate and prescribe safety precautions to be observed in licensed premises;

(d) to regulate and control cinematographic exhibitions; and

(e) to perform such other functions as are necessary or expedient for the full discharge of all or any of the functions conferred on it by this Act.

In the same vein, the NFVCB regulates the distribution and exhibition of films and video works in Nigeria whilst the Nigerian Copyright Act grants those who express their idea exclusive legal rights upon completion of an eligible original work.

If my memory serves me correctly, President Bola Tinubu’s government set out to grow the film, video, music and other arts related sectors to which results have yielded through grants, loans and support in various forms.

Tinubu, in the last 18 months, has been working assiduously to make the industry bigger and more attractive to the practitioners and investors. And Nollywood occupies a prime place in the industry.

Hence, it was no brainer when President Tinubu appointed Dr. Shaibu Husseini Shaibu Husseini, a fitting square in a fitting hole, who has proven himself as a film critic, film award screener, judge, cum festival connoisseur and the one whom every film practitioners have received as one of their own was appointed the 6th Executive Director of the agency.

As an industry practitioner, scrapping NFCVB, amongst other agencies, as recommended by the Oronsaye report, would be the dearth of the Nigerian film, movie and creative content world.

If a regulatory body is muddled up in the ministry like every other department – as situated by my source – the current feature and future feature of Nigerian music will be hinged on a few decisions.

Understandably, the Honorable Minister for Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Hanatu Musawa understands the role of the NFVCB as a regulator and supports the agency with all she can within the ambit of the law.

Unlike her predecessors, Musawa has empowered and emboldened the NFVCB and Husseini to discharge his duty as the executive head of the regulatory body for certification, and censoring of creative contents consumed in Nigeria.

I can tell you for a fact that all that is needed is to allow NFVCB to remain a sole entity that will not face the same fate as the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to the broadcast industry and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to the telecommunications industry.

Without fear or favour, the board of the NFVCB have remained focused on meeting with the Board and has regularly hosted a stand at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada to connect Nigerian producers, exhibitors and distributors with international partners. So, it was a double slam for the agency when Genevieve Nnaji’s Lion Heart and Mo Abudu’s Death and the King’s Horseman were featured at the festival.

In addition, it has worked closely with industry heavyweights to feature Nigerian programmes at the Cannes Film Festival in France and even at FESPACO in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

If the FG, especially with an alleged letter from the SFG, says NFVCB, as the regulator of the creative industry, has credulity strains, then we should all believe our films have been thrown to the dogs!

Truth is, there’s no need to merge the NFVCB with the Ministry because it is better to have both as a standalone.