Censors board urges NASS, Finance ministry to increase its budget in 2018

The Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, (NFVCB), Alhaji Adedayo Thomas has called on the National Assembly and the federal ministry of finance to consider increasing significantly, the board’s budgetary allocation in the 2018 budget.

According to the Executive Director, who spoke during a press briefing in Abuja to mark his first 90 days in office, this will enable the board function effectively and drive economic development.

He stressed that the Board was regulating an industry that was contributing hugely to national economy and has the potential to contribute much more.

He said: “The budget of the Board for 2017 is very poor, and we cannot achieve significant results with it. The Board’s overhead is increasing whereas funding for it is decreasing. Coupled with this is the low revenue which is as a result of the prevailing economic situation in the country”.

Thomas said that the Board was focused on ensuring that law abiding industry practitioners reap the full benefits of their works, also vowed to “make it difficult, if not impossible, for criminals to operate in the industry”.

While fielding questions from journalists, Thomas said the Board was working on instituting a task force to check the trend, the essence being to make things better for industry players, even as he promised that in the shortest time, the market will be rid of piracy, and uncensored movies.

Miriam Humbe, Abuja