Shaibu Husseini assumes office as NFVCB ED
The new Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Dr. Shaibu Husseini, has finally assumed office.
Husseini was appointed by President Tinubu on January 12, 2024 as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NFVCB, apex regulatory agency for film and video works in Nigeria but assumed office on March 4, 2024.
Upon his assumption of office, Husseini made a call to the management and staff to cooperate with him to add more blocks to those already erected by his predecessor, Alhaji Adedayo Thomas.
Husseini commended the management and staff for their patience during the unusually long documentation process, which culminated in the delay in his resumption.
The new Executive Director, who on the first day of resumption held a plethora of meetings, stressed the need for unity, teamwork and good interpersonal relationship among the staff, noting that those were the ingredients required to move the Board forward.
He also noted that he has come to work and contribute his own quota so that by the time his successor comes he would continue with other aspects of the building process.
Cheers from the staff greeted the chief executive, when he addressed them, assuring them he would run an inclusive management system.
“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,” he said.
He emphasised the need for professionalism, discipline and unity stating that division, camps and favoritism were counterproductive to the Board.
Husseini 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 bedeviled the Board for sometime now.
Upon Husseini’s resumption, Netflix was the first organisation to pay a courtesy call to the Executive Director. The Netflix team was led by Shola Sanni and they had fruitful discussion with Husseini and the management of the Board.
Husseini expressed appreciation for Netflix’s significant impact on the Nigerian film industry, applauding their efforts in elevating the standard of movie making, empowering filmmakers economically and in creating jobs.
He particularly commended Netflix’s support for quality control measures and their participation in NFVCB’s programmes such as the annual Digital Conference.
He admitted that the collaboration has led to more consumer awareness and it enhanced Media literacy especially among practitioners and the different groups in the viewing ecosystem.
The Executive Director 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 their 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 Executive Director also mentioned plans to host a Nigerian film and video Market and a Production cum distribution laboratory aimed at providing access to our films and filmmakers and building capacity in the area of production and distribution. He also harped on plans to digitize the operations of the board, to which he sought Netflix’s support and collaboration.