By Benjamin Njoku

Film scholar and critic, Dr Shaibu Husseini, who’s currently the Executive Director and Director-General of the National Films and Videos Censors Board, NFVCA, has hit the ground running, unveiling bumper programmes to transform the film regulatory agency.

Shaibu assumed office recently, and he’s already putting plans in place to right the wrongs in the industry. In his first media parley in Lagos, Shaibu, who has been meeting with stakeholders of the Nigerian film industry  on issues of classification and censorship, outlined some of his plans for the NFVCB.

In the presence of top management staff including Mrs. Alonge Oyadiran, Director Planning, Research and Strategy, Ms Deborah Malgus; the director Film Censorship and Classification; Mr Ogbonna Onwumere, Director Corporate Affairs; Barrister Uju Emagah, Director Zonal Coordinator; South West Zone; and Barrister Hassina Nasiru, Director, Head Legal department, NFVCB boss stressed the need for the regulatory body to get accurate data in ensuring the film and TV industry moves to the next stage.

The established film critic and member of several film award boards stressed the need for filmmakers to show responsibility in carrying out their duties. He noted that if filmmakers were responsible enough to avoid contravening the laws, the NFVCB has no reason to enforce any law because dragging a stakeholder to court doesn’t help the board in its outlined objectives.

On his appointment, Shaibu noted that his passion for film and everything that has to do with the industry might be responsible for his appointment and he owed the stakeholders of the Nigerian and African film industries, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy of Nigeria the onus to ensure he would leave the board much better than he met it as a creative himself. Speaking further, Shaibu said that he wished to further empower and put to good use the 465 staff of the NFVCB, six zonal offices, and 26 state centres during his tenure.

The NFVCB new boss also announced plans for the 30th anniversary of the creation of the board.

He revealed that the board will be 30 years in June, 2024 and there are plans  to present three different publications, detailing three different decades of the progress made by the board.

Shaibu added that the three publications will contain all the necessary details of films that have been classified and censored by the board since it was created.