On 21 May 2024, the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) of Nigeria announced new measures prohibiting the promotion and glamorisation of tobacco, tobacco products, and nicotine products in entertainment media, including movies, musical videos and skits, produced in Nollywood, a Nigerian film industry.

The regulations titled “Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Product, Nicotine Product Promotion, Glamorization, Display in Movies, Musical Videos and Skits” was approved by the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, and enabled by the National Film and Video Censors Board Act, 1993.

The regulations by the (NFVCB) aligns with the Nigeria’s National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act, 2015 and NTC Regulations 2019. Specifically, NTC Act Sections 12 (1); 12(3); 12(4)(b); & 14 (applicable penalties) as well as Number 15(6) of the NTC Regulations 2019.

Key elements of the above titled regulations include:

• Prohibits the advertisement, promotion, or glamorisation of a tobacco or nicotine product or brand in movies, musical videos or skits.
• Calls for every producer, director of a movie or musical video to ensure that the work does not contain any unnecessary smoking or tobacco use scene.
• Defines a necessary smoking scene as one where the use of tobacco or nicotine product is required for historical accuracy, or for educational purposes and to depict a negative lifestyle.
• Requires that if there is any necessary depiction of a tobacco or nicotine product:
  • A health warning be displayed during the scene and at the end, such as “TOBACCO USE CAUSES FATAL LUNG CANCER AND OTHER DANGEROUS EFFECTS ON THE HEALTH OF USERS AND THOSE CLOSE TO THEM”.
  • The movie, skit or musical video receives the highest classification and not be shown to those under the age of 18.
  • The character in the movie is shown to suffer from the adverse health consequences of tobacco use.
  • There be no display of the tobacco or nicotine brand or pack.
• Requires that producers and directors of movies disclose to the Board any relationship between them and the tobacco/nicotine industry.
• Prohibits the advertising, promotion or sponsorship of tobacco/nicotine products at a movie premiere or screening.

Nigeria is the first country in Africa and second globally, after India, to take such measures, which follows years of the “#Smoke-Free Nollywood” campaign led by local tobacco control advocates.

The regulation is in line with the “Specific guidelines to address cross-border tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship and the depiction of tobacco in entertainment media for implementation of Article 13 (Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship) of the WHO FCTC” (available here), which was adopted at the Tenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP10) to the WHO FCTC. 

For more information, please, contact Mangai Toma Malau, WHO FCTC Focal Point in Nigeria (malaummt@gmail.com).