Emeka Mba speaks on Nollywood Movies new Distribution Policy

Emeka Mba

As part of efforts to make the newly inaugurated distribution policy popular, Mr. Emeka Mba, Director General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), recently paid a courtesy visit to the corporate headquarters of The Sun Publishing Limited, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos.

Mba, during his visit, spoke on a wide range of issues, especially the controversial framework distribution policy, his challenges at the board, how he intends moving the motion picture industry forward and many more.

Why NFVCB is visiting The Sun
The SUN has deepened the newspaper business in Nigeria. Of all the papers that I have seen, yours is the only one that has helped and engaged the people and I really want to congratulate the management and staff for doing an excellent job and I pray that the paper will continue to do a lot more. The NFVCB is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications.

Essentially, the board was set up by an act in 1993, as a regulatory agency for the film and video industry in Nigeria. As our name implies, we do the censorship of films, classification of films as well as licensing of cinemas, retailers, exhibitors among many others. We are about 15 years old. Part of our visit is to begin a new phase with the management and staff of The SUN and also to thank you for your media support since inception. You have helped in the promotion of our issues and courses and have also challenged us especially when you feel we are not getting it right sometimes.

We have been in Lagos for a few days now and visiting media houses. We are here to explain some of the programmes and initiatives of the board, especially in the last three years, since I joined the board. Chief of this initiative is the Nigeria, In The Movies Project, which actually seeks to promote a lot more responsibility in film making by our filmmakers. We believe that the idea of censorship in a digital age is an uphill task. And without the active participation of filmmakers and the citizenry, it would be impossible for us to make progress. It’s also aimed at creating a channel of empowerment for people within the industry and also help give it structure. Also to help lend our efforts to the fight against piracy and generally promote the cause of good society through what we do at the Censors Board. We have also launched the media literacy programme. We have also launched the Nollywood Interactive with NACA, to fight the dreaded HIV/AIDS.

We want to promote ideals that are beneficial to the industry, using our film industry. We believe that the media, which the film industry is a central part of, can help reshape and redefine and also help change our attitudes as a people. We need the media to become an active player in the growth of our nation. And The SUN being one of the most influential papers in the market of mass media, it would be a big plus for us to join it in this initiative. We will cherish the relationship that we will begin to build from this day.

State’s Censors Boards
Under the current constitution that we operate, censorship is on the concurrent list, meaning that both state and federal government can operate simultaneously. It’s an issue that is quite worrisome to the industry. At the moment, there are issues going on in Kano State. The same constitution also says that states should remain in abeyance, when there is a clash with the federal. We are seeking to get a judicial interpretation from the office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.

The National Assembly has also waded in. We believe we are not a federal film agency, but a national one. We also have zonal offices within the six-geo political zones. We have also set up zonal consultative groups, for stakeholders within that group to participate in our activities. Our offices are in Kano, Onitsha, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bauchi and Jos and of course, Abuja. Hopefully, with the review of the constitution that we are looking forward to, we will be able to clarify the mode of operation. Its a fight for all of us in the media and creative industry.

Censorship in a Democracy
We are preaching the idea of responsibility now. If one is trained as a film maker and has the higher sense of responsibility, it’s much more likely that he would produce good films. Very soon, our role would be centered on classification and providing the information for people to make decisions. Today, there is no US film that would not reflect the country’s national flag. That’s not censorship, but responsibility and professionalism. Meanwhile, children now have more access to the Internet and there is porno and others. I agree that the word censorship is almost obnoxious, but there has to be regulation. The better word should be regulation not censorship.

Censors Board and Pornography
I must confess that part of our responsibilities is to deal with the issue of pornography. It is also an issue for the wider society to tackle. Over the last three years, we have actually had what we call the National Anti- Pornography Task Force. We have also taken a more strategic stand in dealing with major producers and suppliers of pornographic materials. Our surveillance teams are currently working. We will soon begin an anti pornography campaign. We are also soliciting the help of the media in this direction.

This is why we insisted that everyone, who is retailing films in Nigeria, must be covered, we must know who you are, where you operate and where you get your supply from. The law or act on this issue is clear. We are currently creating the database of the operators. This year alone, we have arrested more than 30 persons and some of them are still standing trials. Its a big challenge and all of us at the board are determined to continue unbent. Though, we can’t work effectively without structure, we are happy that the number of those who are complying with the framework is now greater than those who have not. The doors are still open and the forms are available in all our offices.

Why some Marketers Refused to Register
It is not popular among marketers who have been milking the system. And they also will lose out now that we are democratizing the system. Several marketers have registered, OJ and Ulzee, are among them. For championing this noble cause, I have received several threat text messages.

Big Brother Controversy
Every agency of government has its turf. The Big Brother show is under the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC). If the content were to come in the form of a tape, VCD or package, it would then fall within our jurisdiction. It’s an interesting issue and NBC is on top of it, they have set conditions for the organizers.

Net worth of Nollywood
It is difficult to speak on any form of accuracy on the net worth of the industry. I can give what we considered to be the estimates; based on what Leke Alder did, using the economic stimulus index. Probably, a statistical analysis of between 250 and 300 million dollars on an annual basis. We are currently doing the baseline survey of the Nigerian entertainment and creative industry in collaboration with HITV. This will help us make an informed investment decision. We have told all marketers to engage lawyers and accountants for the benefit of their businesses, but they are kicking against it. We have also told them to get insurance cover for their creative works, so that it can be valued. This can even help them access loans from the banks. We are also not fighting anybody. We believe in lifting people. We are not out to chase anybody out. This form is online and accessible any where, because the train is moving very fast.

Going back to the Cinemas
All these things point to the perception of a very disorganized film industry. People are afraid to make investment decisions.
They are scared of making elevated investments. There has to be confidence in the environment. It costs a lot making celluloid films and it also requires a lot. We are recording and not yet filming in the industry. What our producers do now is what I call point and shoot.

Censoring a Movie
We look at essentially five thematic materials whenever a film is submitted for censorship, mainly in the areas of context and impact. We censor sex, nudity, violence, drugs and imitable techniques. But the key is context and how the movies impact on the audience. The officers are trained to follow these criteria. And a filmmaker that is not satisfied with our decisions can appeal. some of our responsibilities are training and empowerment, thus bridging the ignorance gap. We need to have more informed and properly trained filmmakers; if we must maintain our position in the global film hierarchy, otherwise we will be a laughing stock. For example, rituals in movies have dropped. We are also organizing script workshops with professionals being invited.

The Way forward
I will speak in terms of my expectations, in the sense that we look forward to a better-structured industry within the next year. We would also begin to see better movies, a lot more investments in the industry. Even the people currently agitating, I expect that they would soon realize the benefits of what they are fighting. Remember when Soludo started the banking reforms, those who kicked against it are now reaping bountifully today and also celebrating and giving him awards everywhere.

Source: The Sun News Online