Exploring The Censorship Of Movies For The Nigerian Audience
— Mar 15, 2015 | 0 Comments
In Nigeria, approximately 50 per cent of the citizens are urban dwellers with access to the cinema or home viewing technology that allows them to watch both western and Nigerian movies. Against this backdrop, Suzan Ironsi reviews recent incidents of censorship in the country.
For a lot of adults, watching movies is a popular way to relax; an indulgent leisure activity where people enjoy the make-believe atmosphere created by film makers, often to enlighten or change our views towards social issues. For Nollywood movies, the common themes are those that address moral dilemmas facing modern African cultural contexts for either the Christian or Muslim segments of the population. High grossing movies such as 30 Days in Atlanta, October 1, Ijé and The Return of Jenifa may be easier to classify, because of the content. The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) is tasked with the responsibility of screening and classifying these movies for public viewing. NFVCBS mission is to contribute to the positive transformation of the Nigerian society through the censorship and classification of film and video works, while balancing the need to preserve freedom of expression within the law, and limit social harm caused by films. If we consider that the behavioural pattern of people is formed by different factors in their environment, and movies have emerged as popular part of the environment, then we can consider the strong influence that movies have. There are those who believe that if movies are not of strong moral quality, and have a reasonable aspect of the Nigerian culture, then they will influence the Nigerian audience negatively.
Days after the public screening of “Fifty Shades of Grey”, the NFVCB announced its ban. Nigeria isn’t the first country to do so, as other countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia carried out the same action.
The movie, which is the adaptation of an erotic novel published in 2011 and written by British author E.L. James, is the first installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy that is already known for its explicitly erotic contents, and featured elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM). Its showing might have been perceived as a laissez-faire stage in Nigerian cinema and the popularity of the movie can be validated by the box office figures which were at $100 million mark in the USA, with an additional $200 million coming in from foreign countries after its release. However, in news reports credited to a statement from the NFVCB, the movie was banned in the public’s interest. Now, according to the NFVCB website, their role is not sufficient to maintain the moral tone of our society. In their statement, the board recognised that it is a shared responsibility with censorship being complemented by public education.
However, this is not the first high profile movie to feel the heat of the Nigerian censorship guidelines. In 2014, the movie Half of a Yellow Sun which is partly on Nigeria’s civil war, also known as the Biafran War, had been rescheduled from its intended release date. A press statement signed by the agency’s acting head, Corporate Affairs at the time clarified it from being banned as was speculated, but explained it as a request by the NFVCB to extend the release date, so that it could exercise due diligence, consonant with section 36 (1) (b) of NFVCB Enabling Law ACT 1993, CAP N40 LFN 2004 which requires that “a decision on a film shall ensure that such a film is not likely to undermine national security” and the board had to ensure that other kinds of objectionable materials capable of inciting civil strife is reduced or eliminated completely. The credibility of the content of Half of a Yellow Sun, which is an adaptation of the award-winning novel by one of the country’s leading writers, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, was not in contention, nevertheless in response to the unscheduled delay, Chimamanda Adichie had been quoted as expressing that while agreeing that the political atmosphere was tense, she was of the opinion that Nigeria’s political culture is averse to openness.
While the popularity of a movie might be an indication that there is an audience for such a movie in Nigeria, when it comes to movies such as Fifty Shades of Grey, the NFVCB is statutorily mandated to censor and classify it; as it does for all films and video works made locally or imported into the country. The statement from the NFVCB went further to explain that in carrying out their responsibility, the board has to take into consideration that in a multi-ethnic and religious society like Nigeria, the censorship and classification of films into varying categories not only allows adults the opportunity to see a wider range of films dealing with the realities of the adult world, but at the same time restricts children and the youth from viewing what could be harmful to them in one way or another.
District 9, a 2009 science fiction action thriller film directed and produced by Academy awarding winning Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, had been banned from Nigerian Cinemas for accusations of being xenophobic and showing racism towards Nigeria. The film adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Sharlto Copley and Simon Hansen, depicts humanity, xenophobia, and social segregation and went on to win numerous awards. Nigeria’s Information Minister at the time, the late Prof Dora Akunyili (OFR), had asked that cinemas around the country either ban the film or edit out specific references to the country. Subsequently, the NFVCB had reportedly asked cinemas to stop showing the film. Opinion from Nigerians were in line with the minister, where some expressed distaste for the portrayal. Popular Nigerian-born British actor, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, had also been reported as criticising the representation of Nigerians in the film, telling the Beeld newspaper: “Africa is a beautiful place and the problems it does have cannot be shown by such a small group of people.”
Censorship for countries possess their unique forms. In Britain, the censorship board is independent, and whose business affairs are controlled by a council of management selected from leading figures in the manufacturing and servicing sectors of the film industry. The council appoints the president, who has statutory responsibility for the classification of videos, and the director who has executive responsibility and formulates policies. The board is financed from the fees it charges for classifying films and videos and is run on a not-for-profit basis.
In Canada, appeals by the judiciary to community standards and the public interest are the ultimate determinants of which forms of expression may legally be published, broadcast, or otherwise publicly disseminated. Other public organisations with the authority to censor include the Canadian Human Rights Commission, various provincial human rights commissions, and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, along with self-policing associations of private corporations such as the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. Though the NFVCB was set up by Act No.85 of 1993 to regulate the film and video industry in the country, and members of the board are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the minster, the board’s vision remains that of being recognised as a world-class film and video regulatory agency that institutes best practices in the discharge of its duties, which means addressing illegal importation of pornographic movies from abroad, selling and the rental of uncensored movies.
Days after the public screening of “Fifty Shades of Grey”, the NFVCB announced its ban. Nigeria isn’t the first country to do so, as other countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia carried out the same action.
The movie, which is the adaptation of an erotic novel published in 2011 and written by British author E.L. James, is the first installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy that is already known for its explicitly erotic contents, and featured elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM). Its showing might have been perceived as a laissez-faire stage in Nigerian cinema and the popularity of the movie can be validated by the box office figures which were at $100 million mark in the USA, with an additional $200 million coming in from foreign countries after its release. However, in news reports credited to a statement from the NFVCB, the movie was banned in the public’s interest. Now, according to the NFVCB website, their role is not sufficient to maintain the moral tone of our society. In their statement, the board recognised that it is a shared responsibility with censorship being complemented by public education.
However, this is not the first high profile movie to feel the heat of the Nigerian censorship guidelines. In 2014, the movie Half of a Yellow Sun which is partly on Nigeria’s civil war, also known as the Biafran War, had been rescheduled from its intended release date. A press statement signed by the agency’s acting head, Corporate Affairs at the time clarified it from being banned as was speculated, but explained it as a request by the NFVCB to extend the release date, so that it could exercise due diligence, consonant with section 36 (1) (b) of NFVCB Enabling Law ACT 1993, CAP N40 LFN 2004 which requires that “a decision on a film shall ensure that such a film is not likely to undermine national security” and the board had to ensure that other kinds of objectionable materials capable of inciting civil strife is reduced or eliminated completely. The credibility of the content of Half of a Yellow Sun, which is an adaptation of the award-winning novel by one of the country’s leading writers, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, was not in contention, nevertheless in response to the unscheduled delay, Chimamanda Adichie had been quoted as expressing that while agreeing that the political atmosphere was tense, she was of the opinion that Nigeria’s political culture is averse to openness.
While the popularity of a movie might be an indication that there is an audience for such a movie in Nigeria, when it comes to movies such as Fifty Shades of Grey, the NFVCB is statutorily mandated to censor and classify it; as it does for all films and video works made locally or imported into the country. The statement from the NFVCB went further to explain that in carrying out their responsibility, the board has to take into consideration that in a multi-ethnic and religious society like Nigeria, the censorship and classification of films into varying categories not only allows adults the opportunity to see a wider range of films dealing with the realities of the adult world, but at the same time restricts children and the youth from viewing what could be harmful to them in one way or another.
District 9, a 2009 science fiction action thriller film directed and produced by Academy awarding winning Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, had been banned from Nigerian Cinemas for accusations of being xenophobic and showing racism towards Nigeria. The film adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp and produced by Sharlto Copley and Simon Hansen, depicts humanity, xenophobia, and social segregation and went on to win numerous awards. Nigeria’s Information Minister at the time, the late Prof Dora Akunyili (OFR), had asked that cinemas around the country either ban the film or edit out specific references to the country. Subsequently, the NFVCB had reportedly asked cinemas to stop showing the film. Opinion from Nigerians were in line with the minister, where some expressed distaste for the portrayal. Popular Nigerian-born British actor, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, had also been reported as criticising the representation of Nigerians in the film, telling the Beeld newspaper: “Africa is a beautiful place and the problems it does have cannot be shown by such a small group of people.”
Censorship for countries possess their unique forms. In Britain, the censorship board is independent, and whose business affairs are controlled by a council of management selected from leading figures in the manufacturing and servicing sectors of the film industry. The council appoints the president, who has statutory responsibility for the classification of videos, and the director who has executive responsibility and formulates policies. The board is financed from the fees it charges for classifying films and videos and is run on a not-for-profit basis.
In Canada, appeals by the judiciary to community standards and the public interest are the ultimate determinants of which forms of expression may legally be published, broadcast, or otherwise publicly disseminated. Other public organisations with the authority to censor include the Canadian Human Rights Commission, various provincial human rights commissions, and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, along with self-policing associations of private corporations such as the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. Though the NFVCB was set up by Act No.85 of 1993 to regulate the film and video industry in the country, and members of the board are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the minster, the board’s vision remains that of being recognised as a world-class film and video regulatory agency that institutes best practices in the discharge of its duties, which means addressing illegal importation of pornographic movies from abroad, selling and the rental of uncensored movies.
Nigerians, through popular online media forums, in reacting to the ban of “50 Shades of Grey” made comments such as “Only in Nigeria will a board of movie censors review the movie AFTER it has been released. Honestly 90% of Naija government workers need to have their job functions explained to them” and …. “I don’t understand as well. Yes the movie is risqué from what I’ve heard , but then label it 18+ and get on with it. Always trying to make Naija adults into children. They should kukuma turn us to North Korea”
Whilst It may seem that not everyone is averse to sitting through an erotic romance in the company of a theatre full of strangers , it is for this same reason that the NFVCB should and has reaffirmed its resolve to attend to submitted movies with utmost dispatch and the display of due diligence in its role as the industry gatekeeper.
Whilst It may seem that not everyone is averse to sitting through an erotic romance in the company of a theatre full of strangers , it is for this same reason that the NFVCB should and has reaffirmed its resolve to attend to submitted movies with utmost dispatch and the display of due diligence in its role as the industry gatekeeper.
Walt Disney explained that movies have a tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment, towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood
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