Nigerian Government Bans Money Rituals, Smoking, and Other Vices in Films and Skits

The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially banned the glamourization of smoking, money rituals and other vices in Nollywood films and skits.

This development was made known on Wednesday by the Executive Director/CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Shaibu Husseini.

The NFVCB boss revealed this information during a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood in Enugu. He stated that the industry was in emergency mode and that all stakeholders, including parents and guardians, need to take decisive and audacious action.

“When my predecessor approached the former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, on the need to make 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.