In Nigeria, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) reported that it received and censored 541 films in the second quarter of the year.
This was disclosed by Adedayo Thomas, the Executive Director/CEO of the NFVCB, in a statement recently.
Thomas said the figure was made available by the Department of Film Censorship and Classification of the board in its second quarter report for the year.
He added that the report is for onward submission to the relevant Federal Government agency as input for compiling the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter (Q2, 2023).
The report shows a dramatic increase in the number of films produced from 280 in the first quarter to 541 in the second quarter, representing over 90% upward slope.
The board said 287 of the films came in from the Abuja censorship centre, representing the chunk of the films produced during the period under review, followed by Lagos with 155 films.
As indicated in the report, the Onitsha censorship centre is next with 82 films, the Kano centre raked in 12 films, Port Harcourt three, while Abeokuta and Kaduna centres got one film each.
“The remarkable increase in output indicates the increased contribution of the film industry to economic growth in terms of direct and indirect jobs in the entire value chain in filmmaking.
“This undoubtedly reiterates that our film industry remains a crucial contributor to the national economy as the films produced reflect the direct and indirect jobs the sector is creating.
“Our cordial relationship with the recognised guilds/associations in the industry has also played an important role, and we urge them to ensure that their members submit their films for censorship and approval.
“NFVCB, as a Federal Government agency, is committed to providing an enabling environment for filmmakers,” Thomas said.
NFVCB is a Federal Government agency regulating Nigeria’s film and video industry. The Board is empowered by law to classify all films and videos, whether imported or produced locally.
