FG bans smoking, money ritual scenes in Nollywood movies, skits, others
By Abimbola Mohammed
The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the ban on money rituals and glamourising of vices in Nigerian movies.
This was made known by Dr. Shaibu Husseini, Executive Director/CEO of National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) at the National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood held in Enugu recently.
Dr. Husseini noted that the move is born out from the need to sanitise the film industry to stop the glamouring ritual killings, smoking tobacco products, Nicotine display in movies, music videos and skits as it has negative effect on teens and young adults.
It would be recalled that Lai Mohammed, the former Minister of Information and Culture, had earlier blamed Nollywood for featuring money rituals in some of its movies, noting that this has negatively influenced the vulnerable youth.
NFVCB boss said: “When my predecessor approached the former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed on the need to make a 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.
“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,” he said.
According to him, besides the health implications, glamorising smoking in films poses a negative influence on teens and young adults who constitute the largest segment of Nigeria movie viewers.
He mentioned that the board was set to undertake detailed enlightenment programmes in secondary schools, tertiary institutions, local communities, faith groups and other institutions.
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