Stakeholders in Nigeria’s film industry have urged the Federal Government to retain the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) amid the implementation of the Oronsaye Report.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja, filmmakers emphasized that maintaining the NFVCB is crucial for the motion picture industry’s regulation. They warned that any changes, such as merging or subsuming the board, would hinder the industry’s contributions to the national economy.
Veteran filmmaker Paul Apel-Papel highlighted the importance of the NFVCB, noting that Nollywood is too significant to be left without a dedicated regulatory body. Apel-Papel, known for directing the 2021 war action drama “Eagle Wings,” stressed, “We are not in support of subsuming or merger because we are even looking forward to a specific ministry that will focus on Nollywood properly as we grow from here.”
He continued, “The Federal Government should think of how it can actually make a specific focus on Nollywood the way it is doing for agriculture, because after agriculture, the industry is the largest employer of labour. We are bringing revenue; we are creating jobs and we are positively promoting the image of the country globally. Nollywood is not getting any direct support; everybody is trying to develop their craft and then the only agency we have they want to take it back to the ministry and kill it.