The Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board (NVCB), Mr. Adedayo Thomas has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of late veteran actor, Olumide Bakare and football the football fans who died at a public viewing centre in Calabar, Cross River state as a result of electrocution.
Mr. Thomas also commiserated with the people and government of Cross River state, urging them to bear the irreparable loss of the seven football fans with fortitude, and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured 11 persons currently receiving treatment at the University of CalabarTeaching Hospital.
“May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace,” said Thomas In a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Mr. Pelumi Oludayo.
The NFVCB chief, who earlier this month assumed office as the head of the NFVCB, regulators of the film and video sector, as well as exhibition facilities such as cinemas, theatres and viewing centres however disclosed that plans are being firmed up to standardise viewing centres across the country.
He said the exercise will include a baseline mapping for a much needed data base, and expose viewing centre operators to new opportunities that will lead to facility upgrades and improved safety for the benefit of all viewing centre clients across Nigeria.
Tag: Censors Board
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Censors Board condoles with families of Olumide Bakare, victims of viewing center
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New Censors Board boss sues for cooperation
•Pays homage to film marketers, veterans, others
From a personal meeting with motion picture veterans like Chief Eddie Ugboma, Igwe Gabriel Okoye, aka Gabosky, and Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun to the leadership of associations such as Film and Video Producers & Marketers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN), Yoruba Video Film Producers/Marketers Association of Nigeria (YVFPMAN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP) and Mr. Bond Emeruwa, Chairman of Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) among others, new Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Alhaji Adedayo Thomas is closing ranks with stakeholders in the motion picture industry with a speed akin to that of the latest installment of ‘Fast and Furious’ series.
“The E.D of Censor Board is in Abuja, I have come to you as Adedayo Thomas, and I’m glad to be back to my first constituency,” he would say to his hosts.
The son of an Oxford-trained father and an illiterate mother, but richest woman entrepreneur in Oshodi (both late) noted that his years of entrepreneurial practice and tutoring would be brought to bear, on the ‘ailing’ and N317million-indebted Censors Board he met on ground. “But I cannot do it alone. I lay no claim to total knowledge of the solutions to this aspect of film business. That is why I have come to you. Government is not meant to kill creativity and businesses with its policies, but to give them the right grounds to fester. Therefore, your successes as entrepreneurs are our success. When you make it big, all we need from you as government agency is ‘little change’ to survive.
Adedayo sued for cooperation of the film marketers and distributors with the Censors Board, decrying the present norm where by about 70 percent of films in circulation were not taken to the agency for censorship and classification.
Recall that film marketers, in protest of some policies introduced by previous leadership of the Board have largely boycotted censorship.
Adedayo however expressed optimism on turning the fortunes of the Board around, with the cooperation of all stakeholders, saying, “I want to celebrate 90 days in office with stories of new successes, rather than the traditional 100 days in office that others celebrate.”
The NFVCB helmsman who assumed duty at the Board’s Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, April 7, made his first appearance at the Lagos office last Tuesday, during which he urged staff members to think out new ways of generating revenue for the agency, harping on effective revenue drive that would not pose a burden on the stakeholders.
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A word for Obama, new honcho of Censors Board
LIKE an uncertain lover, the news was received with reservation, when Thomas Adedayo was named the new Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).
Although the announcement came with great relief, it was received with more expectations, because, while the film industry continues to thrive through individual efforts, the lot of government’s regulatory/support agency like the Censors Board is not up to speed. As a matter of fact, producers and marketers have never had it bad with the Censors Board the way it had been in the last four years.
In journalism, we say a writer is as good as his last byline, just as a filmmaker, as his last movie: the Censors Board is as good as the tenure of its erstwhile Director-General, Emeka Mba. And the last four years had only been about the memory of a man who himself was yet to deliver fully on his promises before being taken away. In those four years, the industry had moved double-pace with award-winning movies, Box Office earnings like never-before-experienced and international profiling of Nollywood like the Toronto International Film Festival exposure in September of last year. As it stands today, Thomas Adedayo is saddled with completing Emeka Mba’s projects, cover the deficit of the last four years, catch up with the extra pace of Nollywood’s growth before running his own race as Executive Director of an agency that, in my estimation, is more accountable to the film industry than the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) which prides itself with the apex ranking.
By accountability, I am talking about the sanity of the distribution space through classification and enforcement and extended functions, such as seminars, licensing for distribution and marketing of Nigeria’s films and image for financial and diplomatic advantages.
Thomas Adedayo is on a hot seat. I do not envy him.
But who says this job is beyond a novice who may be blessed with managerial ability, passion for success, a fast learner, a good listener? It doesn’t matter how a man gets to a position, how he leaves the position is what matters most.
I have often cited the case of my friend, Ayeni Adekunle Samuel, CEO of Black House Media (BHM) who studied Microbiology in school. Not only did he leave a remarkable imprint as a practising journalist, he is a proven entrepreneur, and today, a force to reckon with in the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN).
The story of George Lucas is also not new to many: talking about how the once race-car driver has become a revered name in Hollywood with Star Wars franchise.
For Adedayo Thomas, I am enamoured of his resume – his media and theatre background – which shows he is one of a kind.
I am also optimistic of the Buhari’s government’s diversification policy to boost the creative non-oil sector of the economy. And because it is no time to make mistakes again, I want to believe the Federal Government has chosen the right man for the NFVCB job.
I was curious like any other stakeholder in the film sector, that I started searching the internet for Adedayo Thomas, shortly after he was announced by the Federal Government as the new honcho of the NFVCB. I stumbled on a remark by a gentleman, Gilbert Mfitundinda (I think he is a Ugandan, based in the U.S.), congratulating the new NFVCB boss. His words were encouraging.
He said: “Congratulations on your appointment my friend Adedayo Thomas. You are such a servant leader. I remember the time I got to spend with you in Mukono-Uganda. Your conversations and insights left me a better person. Thank you for your services, they never go un-noticed and that’s why even the president had to recognise them.”
Hmmm. Even before finding the profile of Thomas Adedayo, his major posts on Facebook were from developmental events he had either organised personally or papers delivered to youths on entrepreneurship, touring the African continent.
However, let me attempt a summary of his two-page resume, and see if Dayo Aduke-Thomas, aka Obama, is one of the voices that the film industry needs to coast to Eldorado.
“…A Journalist, Liberal Political and Economic Advocate, Theatre Artist/Critic and Philanthropist with strong believe in Free Market Economy, Peace and Prosperity. He is the Executive Director/Publisher of African Liberty Organisation for Development (ALOD) –A non-profit Think-Tank that strives to promote ideas and institutions of the free society in Africa. He is also the Africa Regional Director of Language of Liberty Institute, USA. At the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA), he is the Director of Research and Operations.
“…A regular guest speaker at over 50 universities spread across African continent on developmental and policy issues is a board member of several Non-Profit Organization including but not limited to Istanbul Network for Liberty.UK, Foundation for Economic Initiative and Development.
“…Adedayo has a B A (Theatre Arts) and Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relations from University of Jos and Nigerian Institute of Journalism respectively, a Diplomate of Cato University, USA in Philosophy, History, Jurisprudence, and Economics of Liberty and an MBA in Think -Tank Management from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in Washington D.C. He also bagged a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the Nigerian Defense Academy. Kaduna. Nigeria
“…He has written, presented and published several papers on economic development, Theatre Arts, conflict, good governance and democracy at national and international conferences. He co-authored -A letter from Jonathan Gullible based on the original novel, The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible by Ken Schoolland.
“…As a core evangelist of a free society, Adedayo carries his messages to University students in English speaking African Institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and a host of others. He is mostly seen in the Nigerian Parliament in defense of sound policies and features in both local and international media.
“…He published Victor Dugga’s two award-winning plays called ‘A bridge of Strings and Hope Harvesters’, ‘Had I known and April 1421 by Tor J. Iorapuu, In Defense of Global Capitalism by Johan Norberg, Selected Essays on Political Economy by Frederic Bastiat, Twenty Myths about Markets by Tom G. Palmer, A letter from Jonathan Gullible (a play based on the original novel, The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible by Ken Schoolland), Voices from Africa edited by George Ayittey and The African Version of “The Morality of Capitalism titled The Free Markets and Justice. The African Version of After the Welfare State retitled The Bubble that Crashed the World Economy, and many others.”
On this note, I wish to say, I do not know why you are so called, but that nick name, as many will agree, is not derogatory. So, I say welcome, Obama, to the industry of creatives. If you get the distribution framework right, I bet the filmmakers will be grateful. Its effect is far-reaching, including a succour from the much dreaded piracy. Bonne Arrivée!
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Censors’ Board gets police aid against illegal film operators
The police in Akure, Ondo State, have warned that those who flout the rules guiding the distribution and exhibition of film and video works would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The police decry threat to some officers of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) in Akure by illegal film operators.
Area Commander, ACP Dan Okoro while receiving top officials of the Board on fact-finding mission over the threats to some of its operatives in Akure, expressed displeasure with the actions of some individuals who stand against federal officials carrying out their lawful duties.
The team had approached the police to intervene in the illegal activities of some movie industry stake-holders who constitute themselves into stumbling blocks to the activities of the regulatory agency.
Okoro said the police would step in to investigate the alleged threat to life and assault on operatives of the Board in Akure.
The top police officer maintained that it is unfortunate that some players in the movie industry operate without due regard to law and engage in wanton piracy and illegal peddling of unwholesome products.
This, he stressed, not only paints the industry in bad light but robs those who put in so much energy to produce such intellectual works, of the benefits of their endeavour.
On the NFVCB delegation were Cornel Agim, Director of Operations, Tunde Hassan, Deputy Director and SA to the Director General, Terry Odeh, Deputy Director and South-West Zonal Coordinator, Oyadiran Alonge, Deputy Director and Head of Centre, Ibadan, Effiong Ewang, head of legal services, Ganiyu, head of the special police unit attached to the Board and Oluremi Akanni, Head of Centre, Akure.
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Censors Board to begin checks on internet content
IN furtherance of its regulatory functions, the National Film and Video Censors’ Board (NFVCB) has engaged its officers in a workshop organized by Google, as a way of curbing uncensored movies circulating in the cyber space.
“This will strengthen the monitoring of harmful online movie content,” said the agency in a statement.
Operatives of the Board had converged on Lagos and Abuja for the training workshop.
At the Abuja session held at the Chams Centre, Director-General of the Board, Ms Patricia Bala, expressed strong desire to collaborate with platform providers like Google to monitor harmful contents in online movies as the Board does with DVD content. This, according to the Bala, is to protect minors and other vulnerable groups who access such online contents.
In her response, Google’s Public Policy and Government Relations’ Manager in Nigeria, Mrs. Titi Akinsanmi, joining through video conferencing, emphasised that while Google has a dedicated team of engineers devoted to tracking ethical breaches, it will be an uphill task for any agency to monitor movie content on the Internet.
Akinsanmi explained that though Google is a platform provider and not a content creator it places high premium on tracking copyright violations but will not play the Internet police.
The one-day training workshop served to equip operatives of the Board with increased cutting edge digital literacy and broaden their knowledge of online content on various platforms.
Staff from the northern zonal offices of the Board attended the Abuja workshop while Lagos served as centre for the southern zones.
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Information Minister spurs Censors Board
Minister of Information, Mrs. Patricia Akwashiki, has encouraged the Director General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Ms Patricia Bala and her team, to continue with their mandate of motion picture regulations irrespective of the challenges they may be having.
Akwashiki, who visited the Abuja office of the Board last week, noted that her mission was to rub minds with the leadership of the NFVCB on the functions and activities of the organization, on behalf og President Goodluck Jonathan.
Recalling her screen roles on the set of the popular TV serial, Village Headmaster, Akwashiki noted that Nollywood was an important part of the creative industry and charged the Board to see to the projection of a positive image for Nigeria through film.
Earlier in her welcome remarks, the Bala intimated the Minister of the challenges of the NFVCB which included poor funding.
The Minister and her entourage were then conducted round the facilities of the agency, including the film preview rooms where she acquainted herself with the processes of film censorship and verification.
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Why we banned Fifty Shades of Grey, by Censors Board
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), has cited ‘public interest’ as reason it has banned a foreign film,Fifty Shades of Grey, from Nigerian cinemas.
The film, which had earlier started showing in Nigeria, has also been outlawed by the movie regulatory agency of Kenya.
In a statement released at the weekend, the NFVCB further reaffirmed its resolve to attend to submitted movies with utmost dispatch and the display of due diligence in its role as the industry gatekeeper.
According to the agency, a total of 23 movies were approved in December, 2014 and January, 2015.
It explained that out of the movies approved for home viewership in December, 2014, English Language productions topped the list with five films while Bini Language films were four, followed by two Yoruba films and one Hausa Language film. Three of the combined NFVCB approvals were rated “15” while the rest got the “18” rating.
In January, 2015, English Language movies were 10 out of the 11 approved movies, leaving one for Yoruba Language category. Three of the films were rated ‘15’ while the rest had ‘18’ classification.
Among the approved English Language movies for the two months under review are: Here We Stand, The Invisible Bond,Twins Apart, My Brother, My Enemy, Adadioranma, The Baby Must Not Die and Second Burial.
The Bini Language movies include, Ogue Nozutu and Odumamwen while the Yoruba Language movies include Ayo Igbalaand Aye Keji. Bugu da Kari is the only Hausa Language movie.
All approved movies, the NFVCB said, are to be released with appropriate consumer advisory regarding imitable technique, strong language, violence, drug abuse and fetish rituals.
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Censors Board woos Trinidad and Tobago filmmakers
THE National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) is midwifing a partnership between Nollywood and the movie industry in Trinidad and Tobago.
Director General of the NFVCB, Ms. Patricia Bala, who was in Port of Spain, capital of Trinidad and Tobago, urged filmmakers and film authorities in the Caribbean Island nation to avail themselves of the enormous advantages that the Nigerian movie industry has to offer.
Speaking at the 14th Annual Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Symposium at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, Ms. Bala said: “At the NFVCB, we have our eyes on a win win partnership with credible interests in Trinidad and Tobago to deepen our bond and nurture the gains of our cherished emancipation and self determination without losing grip on the equally vital need to be relevant players within the global scene”.
The symposium was part of the country’s Emancipation Celebration, which afforded Bala the opportunity of promoting the rapidly expanding Nigerian movie industry, which according to the re-based GDP figures of 2013, has raked in over N1.2 trillion of Nigeria’s income.
“I will like to leave you with a firm understanding that tremendous and massive opportunities abound in Nigeria’s movie industry for those interested from Trinidad and Tobago to tap into. These opportunities are, among others, in the form of contents that are both culturally relevant as well as a value chain of entrepreneurial activities that are mutually beneficial,” the NFVCB boss stated.
Other eminent personalities at the event are Mr. Waheed Olagunju, Executive Director, Business Development, Bank of Industry, Nigeria; Dr. Judith Aidoo, one-time banker of the year in New York; Vasant Barath, Minister of Trade, Industry and Communications, Trinidad and Tobago and Al Washington, Director, Africa USA International Chamber of Industry and Commence.
The Emancipation Celebration began in Trinidad and Tobago on August 1, 1985 to commemorate the day African slaves were officially freed in 1833, even though the actual freedom came in 1838. The festival is a showcase of African heritage such as foods, clothes and artifacts.
The last event featured film shows, exhibitions, and live performances by Nigerian artiste Seun Kuti and the National Steel Orchestra among others.
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Censors Board releases list of approved films in December
THE National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has returned to its usual public update on periodic film releases, with a list suggesting that only 36 films were approved last December.
The film agency, it appears, is resuming the exercise against the backdrop of several uncensored releases, flooding the market.
Recently, the NFVCB Director-General, Ms. Patricia Bala, in a renewed crack-down on illegal filmmakers, issued a stern warning to practitioners in Benue State to withdraw all uncensored movies from the market or face the wrath of the law.
Bala, who sounded this warning at the
end of a three-day Road Show which held recently in Makurdi, gave a three-month ultimatum which expires in March.
There is a dearth of data for the movie industry and the NFVCB, as the gatekeeper, may just be returning to its custodian role.
The data released by the agency on Wednesday revealed that of the 36 approved films, 17 were in Hausa; eight in Yoruba; six in English; two in Bini; two in Igbo and one in Efik languages.
In the statement signed by its Acting Head, Corporate Affairs, Caesar O. Kagho, NFVCB stated that “the classification categories range from “12” “18” out of which one film, Unsung Heaven, was “12” and 16 movies were classified “15”, including Attajiri (Hausa) Bakin Zinare (Hausa) Derayo (Yoruba) Ugomma and English (English) and Awanokheni (Bini).
“19 movies were classified “18”, including Ahunna the Keke Rider (English), Egun Iboji (Yoruba) Olanma na Emenike (Igbo), Ola Ada Eze (Igbo), Native Warrior (English) Gadon Hali (Hausa) and Izaya (Hausa).
“For the movies classified “15”, the consumer advice is “imitable technique”, “strong language” and “violence” and for those classified “18”, the consumer advice is “sex”, “strong language”, “high drug use”, “ rituals” and “strong violence”,” it clarified.
Also released is a list of approved movies and their ratings between 2009 and 2013.
The five-year data shows that in 2009, a total of 987 were approved, in for 2010, 1,114 films were approved. Others are 2011 (1, 123); 2012 (881) and 2013 (594).
The data also revealed the various classification categories for the films.
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Censors Board crashes distribution fees
IN what it described as a renewed effort to harmonize the principles of its New Distribution and Exhibition Framework (NDEF), the management of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), on Wednesday met with film marketers in Lagos.
Led by its Acting Director General, Madam Patricia Bala, the entourage included top directors of the agency who in a revolutionary move presented a new price slash regime to marketers, while taking their opinions on other possible areas of review on the distribution framework.
The fees include a slash from N500, 000 to N200, 000 for National Distributors’ License; N250, 000 to N100, 000 for Regional Distributors and N25, 000 to N10, 000 for Community Distributors. In the same vein, the renewal fee has been reduced to N100, 000, N25, 000 and N10, 000 respectively for the three tiers.
The State Distributors category has been collapsed into community which has now been broken down to four categories, namely Stationed Outlets; Van/Trucks/Tricycles; Wheel Barrow Pushers; and Street Hawkers.
The icing on the cake for the marketers was the weight which their licenses now carry. Bala told the gathering, in the light of the N3 billion grant by the Federal Government (out of which about N1.5 billion has been proposed for distribution and exhibition), that only the licensees are eligible to access the grant.
While the marketers praised the Board for the fee reduction and other privileges therein, they are worried that their licenses have not been put into full use. A notable marketer, Chief Aina Kushoro of Highwaves Video Mart was of the opinion that unless piracy is tackled adequately, the licensees and grant might not achieve its desired objectives. But Mr. Peddie Okao, CEO of ProlensMovies believes that the solution to piracy already exists in the NDEF and that he had used it to advantage in Benin City where his business is primarily located.
However, Chief Gabriel Okoye, aka Gabosky, a pioneer Nollywood filmmaker is of the opinion that much can still be done by the Board and stakeholders to ensure a full implementation of the NDEF.
The session was not a walk in the park, as tension rose occasionally between the marketers and the officers of the Board at one hand and among the marketers on the other hand.
One of the areas the marketers would want the Board to review is the Wheel Barrow category which they reason was illegal and unbefitting for film business. The board recalled that the category was considered based on the recommendation of the marketers in 2010, where they claimed that the hawkers would be adequately branded. The Board is worried about the divergent voices among the practitioners and argued that some of their propositions which the Board had accepted out of diplomacy are some of the setbacks that the framework has recorded.
Bala noted that all the recommendations have been noted and that the marketers will be communicated on the final decisions taken by the management of her agency.