IT is not any more gainsaying that the creative industry is one of the fastest growing non-oil sectors in Nigeria, providing employment and income for a large portion of the populace. It unarguably contributes a lot to the nation's socio-economic development. The industry has been recognised globally for its potential.Therefore, in order to keep up with the potential, and to make the stakeholders feel the impact of government in censoring motion pictures in Nigeria, the National Film And Video Censors Board (NFVCB) had recently gone into partnership with the Oyo State government by virtue of the commissioning of its Ibadan Film Preview Centre.Speaking about the importance of the partnership and the Centre, Dr. Adebayo Faleti, the Chairman of the occasion, said commissioning the Centre, apart from partnering the Oyo State government, was a Federal Government gesture to the stakeholders in the Nigerian film industry, particularly those in the Western part of Nigeria. According to him, 'it is gratifying to note that a film verification and classification Centre is commissioned here in Ibadan today. This is also commendable because long before now, if you want your films to be approved, then you have to travel long distances to Lagos or Onitsha or Abuja. This was not easy with the risks and expenses involved in embarking on such trips'.The event that was facilitated by Ms. Patricia Bala, Director, Verification and Classification, had made a platform on which the filmmakers were advised to shun producing films that encourage hooliganism, banditry and other social vices that are capable of undermining the laws of the land.In his address, Mr. Emeka Mba, Director-General of the Board, said the preview Centre was part of the effort of the government to bring film approval facility closer to the people. Speaking on the essence of the Centre, Mba, who was represented by Mr. Coleman Uba, Director of Administration, said: 'The film makers in this zone can now conveniently bring their films for verification and classification'.He commended the government of Oyo State, saying that the presence of the two commissioners, Mr. Abiola Ladoja, Commissioner of Arts and Culture, and Mr. Bosun Oladele, Commissioner of Information, meant that the state government holds the Nigerian film industry in high esteem. He urged the management of the centre, which is under the coordination of Mrs. Olayemi Alonge-Oyadiran, to ensure that every process of film verification was targeted towards the production of quality films that can win international awards.Apart from pledging the support of the Board for the Centre to succeed, Mr. Mba, who spoke in person on the open- day of the 2-day event, called on the filmmakers to reciprocate the government gestures by making good use of the Centre to the benefit of the industry in particular and the entire nation in general. He noted that the open-day forum was crucial because it was meant to help the stakeholders to see and appreciate the processes that go into approving films.At the event that witnessed the presence of the management staff of NFVCB, Mr. Dapo Awobotu, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Film And Video Censors Board, among other dignitaries, Mr. Yunusa Tanko Abdulahi, Deputy Director, and Head, Corporate Affairs, stated: 'This forum is crucial because we are living at a time that everything we see not only affect us but helps us to understand who we are because movies or films not only shape our opinions but also help us to form opinions'.Aside from the drama sketch and dance that added some fanfare, Dr. Tope Alonge, Chief Medical Director of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Ibadan, openly stated the willingness of the hospital to grant the Nigerian film makers access to professional medical facilities and hospital scenarios that could be recorded in the motion pictures. In a statement by Dr. Alonge, at the commissioning of the NFVCB, Ibadan Preview Centre said that the issue of accessing information, the manpower and professional medical scenarios, which hitherto was strained, could now be addressed by the hospital.Because of the delicate nature of information from the health sector, he said: 'I now have what we call community liaison group in the hospital directly under my office. Now, we can provide you the advice, the manpower and access to hospital scenarios. We can help you to set up the scenes and also tell you whether they are realistic or not as opposed to having direct information of patients, which can never be divulged. You have every right, once you bring your letter, in areas where you need us to give you our expertise and professional advice, we will be more than willing, on my honour'.Speaking on the essence of films as a medium of sensitive information and the drift from the norm, Dr. Alonge noted that the deviation from the old norm probably began 'when we excluded civics from our teaching in primary schools. He believes that if government could bring back civics studies at that level, along with what we get from the Nigerian entertainment industry, it will really help in restoring our lost values. He enjoined the filmmakers to address those issues in the concept of their films and movies.Highlighting the importance of peaceful coexistence among the filmmakers in the Nigerian film industry, Abiola Ladoja, Commissioner of Arts and Culture, noted the need for the filmmakers to join hands with the Oyo State government to give the creative industry the needed boost. He urged them to produce films that would encourage peace and meaningful development, and also enjoined them to collaborate with the government in their fight against piracy.Also speaking, Mr. Bosun Oladele, Commissioner of Information, said in his opinion that following the commissioning of the film preview Centre in Ibadan, the Oyo State government had found in NFVCB a willing ally and partner in progress.
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