By TAIYE OLAYEMI/RUKAYAT ADEYEMI

The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), says practitioners in the movie industry have been directed to register with a registered guild or professional association before they could practice in Nigeria.

Its Executive Director, Mr Adedayo Thomas, made this known on Wednesday at the inaugural meeting with professional associations and guilds of the movie industry.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the topic addressed at the meeting was: “Safer Internet Dialogue on Hate Speeches for Media and Guilds”.

According to him, directive for registration is in line with Act 17, Subsection Two and Three of the board.

It mandates the board to deal with only registered members of a recognised professional association in the movie industry.

Thomas confirmed that 13 professional associations of the industry, had so far been registered and would only be reckoned with by the board.

“Few months ago, we called on guilds and associations to come and revalidate or register their members.

“The Minister of Information and Culture has been magnanimous enough to give an extension of two months to the initial deadline, which elapsed on Jan. 31.

“This is our first official meeting with the associations that have completed their registrations.

”Three members were selected from each of the professional associations to represent their members on the roundtable.

“We are looking at the problems that determined the new policy, and the new policy will yield to the next step.

“This will also assist the government to identify those who are producing, directing and acting within the industry,” the executive director said.

According to him, the board will follow the policy guidelines to ensure that the film industry becomes a professional sector.

Thomas explained that there was need for proper identification of practitioners in the sector, especially now that Nollywood has ranked second best in content in the film industries in the world.

“In content creation, Nigeria is a hub and that is why in 2019 we won the emerging film market award in the world; now, we have 63 cinemas and our foreign investments have grown.

“We need to put all things on ground to meet global standard and achieve the development we are craving for in the industry.

“The policy is even more beneficial to the associations, because it helps to strengthen them and enable us to know who is doing what,” he said.

Thomas said any practitioner who did not register would be sanctioned and pulled out of business.

NAN reports that registered members of the professional associations and guilds within the film and video industry are Creative Designers Guilds of Nigeria (CDGN); Association of Movie Producers (AMP); Theatre Arts and Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria.

Others include Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN); Association of Movie Content Owners and Producers and Distributors of Nigeria (AMCOD), and National Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP).

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