I didn’t pronounce ban on smoking and ritual scenes in movies – Shaibu Husseini clears air

• Shaibu Husseini has cleared the air on reports making the rounds that he pronounced a ban on smoking and ritual scenes in Nollywood movies. 
• The Executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) took to his social media platform to address the claim making the rounds.
• According to him, he simply made it known that there is now a regulation that prohibits the glamorization of said vices.

Executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Shaibu Husseini has discredited reports alleging that he said the Federal Government had approved the prohibition of money rituals and smoking in Nigerian films.

Several news outfits reported that Husseini made the announcement at a national stakeholders engagement on smoke-free Nollywood in Enugu on Wednesday.

The event was organised by the NFVCB and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).

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

However, in a statement on Thursday released on social media, Husseini said in part:

“I did NOT announce a ban on ‘smoking, or 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 which held in Enugu in collaboration with @CAPPAfrica. No, I did NOT.

“What I mentioned in a speech that I have shared here is the existence of a regulation (NFVCB Regulations 2024) that in line with global best practices prohibits the PROMOTION and GLAMOURISATION of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco product, Nicotine products in movies, musical videos and skits. The regulation aims at discouraging the ‘unnecessary’ depiction, promotion, advertisement, or glamourisation of tobacco or nicotine products in movies, musical videos, and skits.”

Husseini assured that the NFVCB would not implement any policy that will muzzle creativity. He added:

“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.”