March 08, (THEWILL) – The new Director-General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Husseini, has finally assumed office after an unusually long documentation process, which culminated in the delay of his resumption.
The President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on January 12, 2024, appointed Husseini, a notable journalist, film critic and cultural administrator, as the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the NFVCB, the apex regulatory agency for film and video works in Nigeria.
The new DG, who on the first day of resumption held a plethora of meetings, stressed the need for unity, teamwork and good interpersonal relationships among the staff, noting that those were the ingredients required to move the Board forward.
He enjoined the management and staff to cooperate with him to add more blocks to those already erected by his predecessor, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas.
“I am an open book; I assure you I will carry everyone along. Incidentally, I have associated with the Board as a journalist since its formal take-off in 1994. So, I am home. Therefore, I expect that you all will treat me as a family member,” Husseini told his staff.
He conveyed to the meeting the decision of the Radio, Television and Theatre Workers Union (RATTAWU) unit of the Board to hold an election and end the era of caretaker administration, which has bedevilled the Board for some time now.
Meanwhile, when top officials of streaming entertainment giant, NETFLIX, led by Shola Sanni, Director of Public Policy for Sub-Saharan Africa, paid the new Director-General a courtesy visit, Husseini emphasised the board’s role in regulating the industry to ensure that content aligns with laws and does not abuse the sensibilities of the audience.
He commended Netflix for its steadfastness in supporting the industry despite challenges and requested their continued assistance, especially in content classification and monitoring, particularly focusing on issues of morality and children’s viewing content.
The DG also mentioned plans to host a Nigerian film and video Market and a Production cum distribution laboratory aimed at providing access to films and filmmakers and building capacity in the area of production and distribution.
He also harped on plans to digitise the operations of the board, to which he sought Netflix’s support and collaboration.
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