The Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, has addressed reports claiming that the Federal Government has banned the depiction of money rituals and smoking in Nigerian films.

Dr. Husseini clarified his statement made at a national stakeholders engagement on smoke-free Nollywood held in Enugu, organized by the NFVCB in collaboration with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa.

“I did not announce a ban on smoking, and ritual scenes in movies at the (southeast zone) stakeholders engagement on a healthy screen and the campaign to have a smoke-free Nollywood. No, I didn’t,” Husseini said.

He explained that what he mentioned was the NFVCB Regulations 2024, which align with global best practices. These regulations prohibit the promotion and glamorization of money rituals, ritual killings, tobacco, and nicotine products in movies, music videos, and skits. “The regulation aims at discouraging the unnecessary depiction, promotion, advertisement, or glamorization of tobacco or nicotine products in movies, musical videos, and skits,” he added.

Husseini also stated that the regulation requires a health warning for necessary smoking scenes in movies. “The required health warning shall be displayed at the commencement of the work and at the end,” he said. He assured that the NFVCB would not implement any policy that would stifle creativity.

“Any movie, skit, or musical video that displays or depicts tobacco or nicotine products, brands, or use that is necessary to the realization of a narrative shall be given the appropriate classification (rating) and shall not be shown to persons below the age of 18,” Husseini added.

Supporting Husseini’s clarification, former President of the Association of Nollywood Core Producers (ANCOP), Comrade Alex Eyengho, confirmed that the discussion at the stakeholders’ engagement was about the regulations now guiding smoking tobacco and glorifying money rituals in Nollywood films, skits, and music videos.

“The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NFVCB, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, did not at any time announce an outright ban of tobacco smoking and money ritual themes in Nollywood. I was at the event in Enugu where he allegedly made this announcement, and I can say with all sense of responsibility that he made no such statement,” Eyengho stated.

Husseini emphasized that he would continue to engage stakeholders in the industry on these and other matters, focusing more on the classification of films rather than censorship. Eyengho added, “I am also against glamorizing tobacco smoking, money rituals, and other forms of rituals in our films as if it is the norm in our society.”