The Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria has announced a landmark ban on the depiction of smoking and money rituals in Nollywood movies. This decisive move aims to curb the negative impact of such portrayals on public health and societal values. Dr. Shaibu Husseini, Executive Director and CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), announced that the Federal Government has approved a ban on money rituals and the glamourization of vices in Nigerian films. He disclosed this at a National Stakeholder’s Engagement on “smoke-free” nollywood held in Enugu on Wednesday.
Smoking Ban in Nigerian Movies
Health Concerns: The FG’s ban on smoking scenes addresses rising concerns about the normalization of smoking among youths. Studies have shown that on-screen smoking can lead to increased smoking initiation among young viewers because they tend to act out on what they see. We have different cases of young boys and girls seen smoking different kinds of hard drugs and they do it unprovoked, it’s like a new trend/lifestyle.
Regulatory Details: Effective immediately, all Nigerian movies, including those on streaming platforms like Netflix and local digital services, must eliminate scenes showing characters smoking cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products.
Money Rituals Ban in Nollywood
Cultural Impact: The portrayal of money rituals in Nollywood movies has been criticized for promoting harmful superstitions and unethical shortcuts to wealth. The FG aims to counteract these negative influences by prohibiting such content. There was even a trend some time ago where they used a sign language in a ritual movie, with the likes of Pete Edochie, Kanayo. O. Kanayo, and people editing and posting clips of it and making use of this sign as a joke with captions like “It’s time to make sacrifices”. We also hear news of how teenagers (as young as 16 years) visits native doctors and being ready to “sacrifice” their friends/families in exchange for money.
Implementation: All scripts and productions will now be reviewed to ensure they do not depict money rituals. This includes scenes involving mystical practices, sacrifices, incantations or any form of supernatural means to acquire wealth.
Industry Compliance: The NFVCB will implement stringent measures to ensure compliance. Movies featuring money rituals may be denied release licenses and filmmakers could face punitive actions.
How did the industry react?
Mixed Responses: The Nollywood community has shown a range of reactions upon hearing the news. While some filmmakers welcome the ban as a positive step towards more responsible storytelling, others express concerns over creative limitations and the potential impact on traditional storytelling.
Positive Feedback: Health advocates and social commentators have largely praised the FG’s decision, noting the important role media plays in shaping societal norms and behaviors. The ban is seen as a crucial step in promoting healthier lifestyles and ethical values.
Conclusion:
This new regulation would create a change in Nollywood, forcing filmmakers to test themselves and go out of their comfort zones which we all have been used to. They have to be innovative and diversify their story telling and honestly, it’s going to be hard for most of them, if not all of them. Most of these film makers incorporating these ritual-based movies do so not because they want to encourage them, but to teach us a moral lesson at the end of every movie, that involving yourselves in these practices will always end disastrously. We see most of the actors “run mad”, “die” or in rare cases “be saved” and this is done to create fear in the minds of the viewers (young and old) to always make the right choice no matter what.
Now, all we can do is patiently Wait and Anticipate the arrival of fresh, exciting masterpieces that our filmmakers and producers would present to us. I can’t wait! Can you?
