Taking Nigeria to the movies: The innovative regulatory role of the National Film and Video Censors Board

The double-faceted nature of film as both a cultural and an economic good means that the direct involvement by the state in the film industry can often be guaranteed. Such state involvement worldwide is largely expressed through function-specific organs, whose powers and functions tend to vary. The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) of Nigeria, as one of such organs, has powers that go beyond film classification and censorship. This has been manifested especially through its attempt to regularize film distribution in Nigeria through the introduction of a distribution framework. Many resented this attempt by the NFVCB. They considered it as needless interference, especially since the Nigerian video film industry had grown without any assistance from the government. But the NFVCB stated that it was merely exercising its mandate. This article examines the various issues involved and seeks to throw some light on a body that has been little studied.