By Benjamin Njoku

The new Executive Director of National Film and Video Censors Board ,NFVCB, Dr. Shaibu Husseini has finally assumed office, with a call  on the management and staff of  the board  to cooperate with him to deliver on his mandate.

President Tinubu had  on January 12, 2024, appointed Husseini, a notable  film critic and cultural administrator, as the Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the  film regulatory agency.

Husseini commended the management and staff of the censors board for their patience during the  long documentation process, which culminated to the delay in his resumption.

 The new Executive Director, who on the first day of resumption held a series  of meetings, stressed the need for unity, teamwork and good interpersonal relationship among the staff, noting that those were the ingredients required to move the Board forward.

 He noted that he has come to work and contribute his own quota so that by the time his successor comes on board  he would continue with other aspects of the building process.

Addressing the staff, Husseini described himself as ‘an open book,  assuring them that he  would run an inclusive management system.

His words:  “I am an open book; I assure you I will carry everyone along. Incidentally, I have associated with the Board as a journalist since its formal take off in 1994. So I am home. Therefore I expect that you all will treat me as a family member.” He emphasized the need for professionalism, discipline and unity stating that division, camps and favoritism were counterproductive to the Board.’

The Director of Administration, Mr. Ferdinand Abua who earlier  welcomed the Executive Director to the Board, assured him of the support of the staff and management to move the Board forward.

In the meantime, top officials of the streaming entertainment giant Netlix were the first organisation to pay a courtesy call to the Executive Director. Led by Shola Sanni, Director of Public Policy, for Sub Saharan Africa, the team had fruitful discussion with the  Executive Director and the Management of the Board. T

Speaking at the event, Husseini expressed his appreciation for Netflix’s significant impact on the Nigerian film industry, applauding their efforts in elevating the standard of movie making, empowering filmmakers economically and in creating jobs

He particularly commended Netflix’s support for quality control measures and their participation in NFVCB’s programmes such as the annual Digital Conference. He admitted that the collaboration  has led to more consumer awareness and it enhanced Media literacy especially among practitioners and the different groups in the viewing ecosystem.n

 Speaking further, NFVCB boss  emphasized the Board’s role in regulating the industry to ensure that content align with laws and does not abuse the sensibilities of the audience. He commended Netflix for  their steadfastness in supporting the industry despite challenges and requested their continued assistance, especially in content classification and monitoring, particularly focusing on issues of morality and children’s viewing content. The Executive Director also revealed  plans to host a Nigerian film and video Market and a Production cum distribution laboratory aimed at providing access to our films and filmmakers and building capacity in the area of production and distribution. He also harped on plans to digitise the operations of the board, to which he sought  Netflix’s support and collaboration

Responding, Shola stated the unwavering commitment of Netflix to promoting culture and helping Nigerians tell their stories. She  highlighted Netflix!`s  diverse content and its  focus on ensuring that viewers can find what they are looking for on their platform. Shola, however, pledged that  Netflix will    support the Board’s  future digitalization efforts, making programmes accessible and ensuring availability to the public. The Netflix team also expressed willingness to support in media literacy