NFVCB film classification overhaul aims to cut approval time below 24 hours through digitisation, legal reforms and stronger collaboration with filmmakers

The Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, Dr Shaibu Husseini, has announced a sweeping reform programme aimed at reducing film classification time to less than 24 hours through digitisation, legal reforms and closer engagement with industry stakeholders.

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Dr Husseini disclosed the plan on Tuesday during a media parley with members of the Arts and Culture Writers Association of Nigeria in Lagos, describing the reforms as a decisive shift away from slow manual processes and frequent regulatory disputes.

Dr Husseini said the NFVCB film classification overhaul was designed to build a cooperative relationship with filmmakers rather than one driven by enforcement and litigation.

Dr Husseini said the board inherited strained relations with creative professionals and several court cases but had already resolved most of the disputes.

“Creators are not supposed to be in court. Regulators also should not be in court,” Dr Husseini said.

He revealed that the board was digitising more than 280,000 film materials and compiling a four-volume archive of all films classified since 1994 to improve transparency and institutional memory.

Dr Husseini also said the board was refurbishing its first permanent headquarters in Abuja after operating from rented buildings for more than two decades.

“When I came, the first letter I saw was an eviction notice,” Dr Husseini said.

The executive director added that the board was working with the National Assembly to amend its establishing law to align it with global best practices and modern classification standards.

On the possibility of dropping the word “censors” from the agency’s name, Dr Husseini said classification, rather than censorship, reflected global norms and better described the board’s future direction.

“Everywhere in the world, it is called classification,” Dr Husseini said.

Dr Husseini said the board’s Media Literacy Department, currently active in 24 states, was educating parents and communities through schools, markets and civil organisations on age ratings and responsible media consumption.

He congratulated the newly elected executive committee of the Arts and Culture Writers Association of Nigeria and urged the association to support public education on the board’s evolving role.