Nigerians decry the rate at which the Nigerian movie industry continue to stream out pornographic movies rather than releasing educative content into the market, raising doubt about the effectiveness of the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board.
Gone are days, when the norms and ethics of the Nigerian culture and tradition were embedded in the film production of the Nigerian movie industry, ‘Nollywood’. But reverse seems to be the case this days as the Nollywood has lost its African bite and uniqueness.
Legendary actors like Olu Jacobs, Nkem Owoh, Liz Benson, Joke Silva, Bukky Ajayi, Chinwe Owoh, Regina Askia and many more have been known over the years not only for their acting prowess, but the decency in their work. It can be recalled that the Nigerian actors and actresses then had upper hand over their Ghanaian counterparts in terms of good script, great directing and productivity, as well as the cinematography aspect of the movie.
Two decades ago, Nigeria movie industry garnered publicity with the kind of movies that the producers where streaming out, these movies gained recognition within and outside the country, due to its informative and educative content, the Nollywood then was known for the cultural heritage of Nigeria showcased in its movie scenes, with many suggesting that the industry in no time will meet up with its European counterparts in terms of professionalism and otherwise.
Some of the movies that caught the attention of the movie fanatics:
MovieProducerProduction Date
Glamour GirlsKenneth Nnebue1994
DomitilaZeb Ejiro1996
Living in BondageKenneth Nnebue1992
Score to SettleSunny Collins1998
HostagesTade Ogidan1996
Most WantedDozie Eriobu1996
Diamond RingTade Ogidan1998
Osuofia in LondonKingsley Ogoro2003
This were the golden era of Nollywood, where script was well read, prepared and understood but it is acted, in this time, Nollywood movies where rich with proverbs, like “the bird that chooses to perch on the rope must be prepared to dance with that rope”, used in the movie Conspiracy and Misconception. Not this days when Chinwetalu Agu mutters one single line throughout the entire movie. Then producers like Teco Benson, Tade Ogidan and Kingsley Ogoro a lot others, were stunning out movies with excellent storyline, well directed by directors who went extra miles in bringing out the best out of the script with their creative mindsets.
It came not as a shock to many Nigerians when Nollywood icons like Patience Ozorkwo, Omotala Jalade, Olu Jacobs and his wife Joke Silva, and Kenneth Nnebue were recently recognized for their excellent acting prowess by the Federal Republic of Nigeria with some receiving the centenary award to mark Nigeria 100 years of existence, while some were awarded with the Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR) on September 29 at a ceremony in Abuja.
The decadence expressed by the producers, directors and actors in the Nigeria movie industry, calls for questioning if the industry has suddenly lost its culture and discipline, when the movie Room 027 produced by Damijo Efe Young was released in 2013, Nigerians criticized the film but one of the actors in the movie Collins Owochei defended it stating that Nigerians are hypocrites for making so much noise about the movie, saying that most of the people who criticized the film, watched all episodes of Spartacus in the comfort of their living room and nobody gave a hoot about it.
However, years of hard work by the legends of Nollywood, where many won different numerous awards within and outside the country, has been thrown into dungeon by some star-starved individuals, who due to lack of employment, saw Nollywood has a dumping ground for their Unclothedness. The Nigerian movie industry is far from what many where use to, the creative intellectual efforts usually witnessed in production has diminished no thanks to the nonchalant attitude, nepotism and selfish mentality of some people who call their selves actors and actresses.
It came as a shock to Nigerians when a soft Indecency film “Destructive Instinct 3&4” produced by Judith Opara Mazagwu popularly known as Afrocandy, was not banned by the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board, after the review of this film it was discovered by many that script in question had no message what so ever rather than the showcasing of Unclothedness, which definitely was the main objectives of the producer.
With the rate at which the producers continue to roll out this soft Indecency films, the effectiveness of the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board has been question, with many claiming that is adequate measures are not take in a quick manner, the Nollywood has it is known wide world might metamorphosed into Pornwood in the future.
Yet with this Indecency stories called movies by the films makers, the Nigerian Film and Video Censorship Board claims it has no idea these movies exist.
