By Gloria Osemudiamhen
The Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani has assured the Benin Centre of the National Film and Video Censor Board (NFVCB) of the Edo State Government’s interest in projecting the State’s rich culture and heritage and protecting resident children through “Healthy Screens”.
Mrs. Anani gave the assurance while playing host to representatives of NFVCB, who paid a courtesy visit on the Office of the First Lady at the Government House in Benin City.
While emphasizing the importance of showcasing the State’s culture and heritage through film and movie productions, as excellent ways to share the Edo stories, Mrs. Anani asserted, “Edo State is a land of culture. It’s a land of deep heritage; we have many stories to tell. The museum itself tells many stories that we can project. I would love to see more projections of our culture; letting our children know that we have a story to tell. Let’s tell our own stories and showcase our rich heritage”.
Mrs. Anani stressed the significance of movie classifications and ratings, which according to her, will help protect children from unsafe media contents. She advocated that safety on set should not be compromised, as many actors and actresses have lost their lives during movie production.
The Leader of the delegates and Head of the Benin Centre, Mr. Fred Elakhe explained the roles of the Association and its mandate thus, “The NFVCB is an Agency under the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, with the mandate of regulating the Film and Video industry in Nigeria.
“We observe that movies have gone beyond entertainment and information to shaping cultures. The way we dress, speak, or even raise our children have been affected. That’s why we’re committed to protecting our young ones from the negative effects of movies”.
Mr. Elakhe clarified how their classification system has been broadened to prevent child abuse and molestation, promote religious tolerance, and foster unity in the Nation.
Highpoint of the engagement was the unveiling of the “Project Healthy Screens” by Mrs. Anani. The project is aimed at producing movies that conform with legal frameworks and feature healthy contents, especially for children in Edo State.
