NFVCB reduces censorship rate, to launch new classification label

The  National Film and Video Censor's Board (NFVCB,) has reduced the censorship rate for home videos by 50 per cent as part of ongoing reforms in the sector.

The board has also approved a new flat rate of N25, 000 per movie, the Director-General of the board, Mr Emeka Mba  in an interview in Abuja on Monday said

Mba said that the new charges covered all genres of movies including music videos and did not discriminate between foreign and home made movies.

He said the new arrangement was part of an agreement entered into between the board and some stakeholders in the film industry.

The board had been drawn in a long battle to regulate activities of marketers in the industry.

Prior to the new censorship regime, rates ranged between N25,000 and N50,000 per movie.

'In the past six months we have made efforts to provide a conducive environment particularly for business.

'We have been lurked in a running battle with marketers and producers in the sector to ensure sanity.

'The result of the long dialogue and interaction with stakeholders was what culminated in the new censorship rate of N25, 000 per movie.' he said.

Mbasaid that by the current censorship agreement, the marketers and producers would share in the responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations.

He said that marketers would be involved in regulatory activities by observing the activities of their colleagues and reporting suspicious elements to the board for appropriate actions.

On the classification label project, Mba said that the project was on course and would be ready for use by September.

He said that movies under the new classification would carry the green, yellow and red labels.

Mba said that details of the new movie classifications would be made public on the day of the launch.

He said that the new NFVCB movie classification labels would be launched by the Minister of Information in September.

The NFVCB DG said that plans were underway to also launch a platform for movie enthusiasts to watch previews of movies approved by it.

He said that about 5, 000 digitised movies would be made available to the public on the new NFVCB business website.

Mba said that making censored movies available to the public on a dedicated website would revolutionise the movie industry.