The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) says films from unregistered, illegal producers and directors will no longer be registered from Jan. 1, 2021
Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, Executive Director, NFVCB said this on Wednesday during a meeting with the creative industry’s stakeholders on Enabling Laws and Strengthening of Professional Guilds and Associations.
Thomas said that such producers and directors who were not registered with recognised guilds or associations and the board were considered illegal and would be given a window period of one month to do so before January 2021.
He said every association or guild must also register with NFVCB as legal bodies, saying that this would be beneficial to them in terms of accessing some benefits in the long run.
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According to him, the major problem facing the industry is that of unprofessional practitioners and quacks and this action is meant to strengthen associations and encourage professionalism.
“No film will be censored from producers or directors who are not members of a recognised and professional association or guild.
“We observed that most practitioners are not professional in their practices. This is our own way of sanitising the industry.
“This morning we have 15 registered associations in attendance but in our database, we have over 2,000 associations.
“I want you all to know that we are not compromising with our laws. For us to recognise you, you must register with us with an evidence of your Corporate Affairs Commission certificate,” Thomas said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the NFVCB enabling law booklet were distributed to the stakeholders for proper evaluation and adherence to the law.
Some of the associations present for the meeting were: Actors Guild of Nigeria, Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria, Association of Movie Marketers and Producers, Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria, Directors Guild of Nigeria and more.
The stakeholders agreed with the management of NFVCB that all Guilds and Associations must have 50 persons membership strength, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
It was also agreed that associations must pay registration fees to NFVCB and more.
Thomas told the stakeholders that the NFVCB laws had not been reviewed in recent times which would be done soon, urging them to look into areas that could be reviewed for the advancement of the industry.