CITIZENS COMPASS— The Executive Director of the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Husseini, is currently at the front burner of the campaign against the promotion of smoking in films in Nigeria.
The campaign is in tandem with World No Tobacco Month which usually takes place in the month of May.
The World No Tobacco month is an annual event organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise awareness about the dangers associated with smoking and tobacco consumption. The global health body has repeatedly warned that tobacco imagery in films and entertainment media contributes significantly to smoking initiation among young people. As part of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), policies were introduced to discourage tobacco depictions in films and television programmes worldwide.
Speaking on *Villa Square*, a special segment of *Cr8tive Naija* — the weekly tourism and cultural magazine programme aired every Thursday on Mainland 98.3 FM Lagos and anchored by renowned tourism journalist Frank Meke alongside Bunmi Bade Adeniji — Dr. Husseini highlighted some of the ethical reforms and developmental milestones achieved by the NFVCB under his leadership.
According to him, Nigeria’s creative and film industry remains a major contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The creative and film industry contributes immensely to the nation’s GDP. We regularly provide data to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and each time new data is compiled, we discover that even more people have gained employment within the industry. On an average film production set, there are usually between 20 and 30 people working. In addition, films screened in cinemas generate tax revenue for the government. This demonstrates that the industry is a major driver of the economy,” he said.
Dr. Husseini stressed that more deliberate efforts are needed to further reposition the Nigerian film industry through improved infrastructure and supportive government policies. He commended the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, for maintaining an open-door policy and supporting the board’s initiatives.
“For us at the NFVCB, the Minister has always been receptive to our ideas. When I approached her on the need to expand film distribution through the establishment of community cinemas and the introduction of licensing waivers to encourage participation, she approved the proposal without delay,” he stated.
The NFVCB boss also urged the government to prioritise infrastructure development, policy reforms, and industry incentives rather than direct financial intervention for filmmakers.
“The government does not necessarily need to provide funding for filmmakers. Even during my years as a journalist covering film and culture, I consistently advocated for creating the right environment for filmmakers to thrive rather than merely giving out funds. Filmmakers can source funding independently, but after production, the major challenge becomes distribution. Without proper distribution infrastructure, films cannot effectively reach audiences. Therefore, our focus should be on policies and structures that can sustainably support the industry,” he explained.
Speaking further on the special recognition awarded to Nigeria by the African Regional Office of the World Health Organization over the regulation of tobacco imagery in films, Dr. Husseini disclosed that tobacco control efforts within the industry had suffered significant setbacks before his appointment as Executive Director, despite the adoption of a tobacco control policy in 2014.
