THE LAW AND MORAL VALUES: IS CENSORSHIP NEEDED IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

The Law And Moral Values: Is Censorship Needed In The Entertainment Industry?

The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, and pursuant to section 65 of the NFVCB Act 2004, has approved the Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Products, Nicotine Product Promotion and Glamorisation display in Movies, Musical Videos and Skits Regulations 2024.

This implies that any virtual content that relates to the prohibited regulations can no longer be expressed by the Nigerian entertainment industry, which is now subject to censorship. To be more specific, any artist who is caught breaking this new rule will be considered to have broken the law.

As stated by the regulated bodies, the regulation aims to discourage the normalization of vices and promote positive health messages through our entertainment industry. The ban is seen to promote values through the Nigerian entertainment industry.

THE RIGHT OF THE CREATIVE AND THE FREEDOM OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

The Nigerian Constitution of 1999, which serves as the primary legal framework in the country, safeguards the entertainment industry's rights. Section 39 of the Constitution states what constitutes artistic freedom and includes a part devoted to the right to engage in entertainment.

Music, movies, and skits constitute the basis for entertainment in the current digital era, and this is a form of expression for the public. Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of expression as a fundamental right. It states that “every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.

A violation of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution's fundamental human rights is evident in the new regulation issued by the Minister of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy. Relying on NFVCB ACT 2004 does not give the right to infringe on freedom granted by the Constitution which is the law that regulates all other laws in Nigeria.

Musicians, film makers, and skit creators use their mediums to portray social realities, spark debate, and elicit critical thinking.

Such a prohibition jeopardizes the integrity of artistic works, restricts public access to a range of viewpoints, and risks suffocating the creative sector and its capacity to reflect and critique the complexity.

THE LAW AND MORAL VALUES

A nation gets into trouble when it starts criminalising things based on some people’s ideas of morality or religion.

Despite their great deal of overlap, morality and law function on quite different levels. Moral value is more about how people relate to one another, how they view life, and how they want to live on Earth in general. However, not everything that we may deem immoral must be made illegal.

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY DEPICT OUR CULTURE

Nollywood made me aware that these things are not taught in schools. I grew up watching movies as a child, where I saw characters who were full of evil and how there were many different reasons why people would kill one another, such as tradition, religion, politics, power, and money. Nigerian Nollywood keeps up its efforts to educate the public about the detrimental impacts that these kinds of behaviours can have on society and daily living. Some of us might not be aware of the true evilness of our planet if Nollywood hadn't shown the ugly side of humanity.

In Nigeria, where wicked deeds are not unusual, Nollywood, musical compositions, and their virtual act are worth appreciating as they truly convey the way of life of the people there. This will also assist parents in knowing what lessons to instil in their kids before they encounter real-world situations.

Not to talk of the unrestricted internet access where you can easily see pornography and elicit content, especially X formally Twitter which has turned to photography sites and social platforms to connect to explicit content.

REGULARIZATION INSTEAD OF PROHIBITION

In Nigeria, the entertainment industry is regulated by several organizations, including the Copyright Commission (NCC), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), National Film & Video Censor's Board, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), and Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN). Rather than actively meddling in the entertainment industry, the government might grant these organizations complete authority to control their operations.

The Entertainment industry should be given the freedom to portray what is going on in Nigeria's society with the intent to use the medium to educate people about violating the law and involving in criminal activities.

This approach maintains a balance while upholding freedom of expression which is essential for a democratic and culturally diverse society.

Freedom of expression should not be curtailed in a democratic country based on cultural, religious, or personal beliefs.