Movie celebrities including Funke Akindele, Fred Amata, Saint Obi and many others met together at the Lagos office of the National Film and Video Censor Board(NFVCB) to inspect seized unauthorised works in the market.
During the news conference in Lagos, the executive director of National Film and Video Censor Board Adetayo Thomas explained that the tax force has been able to remove films with estimated market value of over 50 million Naira.
“In five days, the tax force was able to remove the Alaba international market film and video works not classified and not approved for distribution in Nigeria, from the premises not licensed being operated by a person not licensed to carry out the film and video business in Nigeria.
The tax force was able to remove films and works with an estimated market value of over 50 million Naira.”
In recent weeks, the board had rated an outrageous range of the popular Alaba market in Lagos where intellectual property is re-created without proper authorization.
Copies include some recent big budget cinema flicks such as ‘The Wedding Party’, ‘Jenifa’s Diary’, ‘Wives on Strike’, A trip to Jamaica’ and many others.
Speaking with Channels Television Funke Akindele expressed her sadness over movie pirated copies after so much work has been into it.
“We work so hard and at the end of the day, the products are being pirated, it is sad because we don’t even cover the money of production. I see Jenifa’s diary out there on the street, even the original copies we turned out for people to buy, they are not buying them because they are buying pirated copies.
“I am grateful the government is supporting now, we pray they do not relent, we pray they push harder to ensure that the pirates are brought to book.”
According to the newly amended National Film and Video Censors Board act signed into law by vice president Yemi Osinbanjo in march 2017.
“Convicted publishers of unauthorized works are liable for a maximum sentencing of up to three years with an option of up to three years with an option of fine of about five hundred thousand Naira.”
Filmmakers, however, believe that the sanctions should be improved upon and be made stronger.
Filmmaker Abdulahi Abdulrasak said, “The law against pirates is not fair, that is why most people are not discouraged in engaging in the act but we are also making some move to ensure that the law against pirates is amended to give them a stiffer penalty.
“The best thing is for us to continue with this process why we are also working on the area of getting the law against pirates to be improved upon and to be stronger.”
The Federal Government recently declared tax relief for investors in the creative sector to help speed up growth in the industry. Beyond this, stake holders believe protecting intellectual property is equally important in making in the industry attractive to prospective investors.
