FG approves prohibition of money rituals, smoking scenes in Nollywood films

The Federal Government has given its approval for money rituals and Nigerian films to glorify vices to be banned. 

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Shaibu Husseini, the CEO and Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, made this revelation on Wednesday during a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood in Enugu. The NFVCB and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa organised the event. 

Attendees at the event included officials of several guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry, in addition to producers, directors, and performers from throughout the nation. 

According to Husseini, all parents, guardians, and stakeholders must take audacious and ambitious action in response to the industry emergency that we are currently experiencing.

“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 glamorising other crimes 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 Husseini, the goal of the sensitization campaign was to inform interested parties about the risks associated with smoking in Nigerian films.

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