Broadcasting
NFVCB Confiscates Pirated Materials Worth N150m in Alaba Market
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has seized pirated materials worth N150 million at Alaba International Market in Lagos and arrested five suspects.
Mr Adedayo Thomas, the Director-General (DG) of the board disclosed in Lagos on Thursday that the seizure was made between May and October.
He said that the pirated materials seized include: CDs, Videos CDs and literary works.
Thomas mentioned that the seizure followed the information the board gathered from some people at the market, regarded as the hub for piracy.
“We have our informants that spy the market on a regular basis, once they notice any form of piracy operations going on there, they inform the board.
“The seizure of the N150 million worth of materials is a result of the information giving to the board on the mass productions of some films that are yet to be made public.
“When our anti-piracy squad assisted by some police men got to the market, we saw pirated copies of films yet to be produced littering the whole environment and were being sold at cheaper prices.
“By Nov. 30, the board will start the court proceedings of those arrested for piracy,’’ he said.
The Director-General likened piracy to a murder case, robbery or economy sabotage where the suspect wanted to reap where he or she did not sow.
He said that the legitimate owners were usually subjected to huge debts and loss.
“The board is going hard on piracy. We are working seriously to reduce piracy to its barest minimum in our environment.
“ The board will go on street campaigns and to secondary schools to enlighten them not to patronise pirated materials and explain the implications of doing so on the rightful owners,’’ he said.
Thomas also said that the board also frowned at nude movies adding that it was not part of its culture.
He added that nude movies always had negative impacts on the lives of the masses and an abuse on the society.
“We are not going to accept that as we had not done in the past. We are going hard in banning such movies from being shown on air,’’ he said.
Thomas said that the board was also looking at reviewing some of its policies and laws to suit contemporary situations.
He advised Nigerians not to buy pirated materials on the streets or from any unlicensed people selling such works.
The DG said that the industry was worth billions of naira, and urged government and stakeholders to utilise the opportunity in the sector judiciously.
“The industry is generating billions but losing more to piracy.
“Actors, actresses, producers, marketers and other stakeholders are not happy with the loss to piracy.
“The board is doing all it can to sanitise the industry for producers, film makers and other relevant stakeholders to enjoy the fruits of their labour,’’ he said.
Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) has established six committees to help strengthen and modernize the country’s broadcasting industry.
The committees will focus on content creation, skills development, digital transformation, sustainability, policy and commercial opportunities
The initiative aims to support industry growth and improve collaboration between broadcasters, regulators and media experts
The official launch recently, was led by Tony Akiotu, president, BON and attended by media professionals, program directors, former journalists and heads of specialized media organizations.
The event brought together several prominent figures in Nigeria’s media industry, including veteran broadcaster and trainer Bimbo Oloyede, Tony Uyah of M4S TV, Kingsley Uranta of Channels Television, Ismael Sani of Platinum TV and Ibrahim Shehu of Trust TV.
Together, they are expected to help drive innovation and support the growth of Nigeria’s broadcasting sector.
According to Akiotu, the committees are intended both to help shape industry policy and to provide a forum for dialogue between BON and broadcasting experts.
Akiotu said the ad hoc committees were intended to strengthen BON’s work and ensure that the umbrella body for Nigeria’s broadcasters played a more direct and meaningful role in developing the country’s broadcasting sector.
The six committees reflect the sector’s main priorities. The first focuses on collaboration and innovation to promote content creation.
The second is dedicated to training and talent development, while the third focuses on industry sustainability by improving the sector’s long-term financial viability.
A fourth committee will focus on digital transformation and work with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on regulatory issues.
The remaining two committees will oversee public policy advocacy and the development of sports and commercial rights to help broadcasters increase revenue and attract more investment. Together, the committees are expected to guide BON’s efforts to modernize and strengthen Nigeria’s broadcasting industry.
The committees, chaired by members of BON’s General Assembly and supported by the organization’s Secretariat, have an initial 12-month mandate that may be renewed if necessary.
They are required to submit a progress report within three months and implement approved recommendations within the following six months.
The arrangement is intended to ensure close oversight and the timely implementation of their work.
Akiotu also reminded committee members that Nigeria pioneered television broadcasting in Africa and urged them to carry out their work with greater effectiveness and efficiency.
Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) says it is investigating about 34 tertiary institutions over allegations that they failed to refund students whose tuition fees were paid twice under the Federal Government’s student loan scheme.
The Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television.
Sawyerr said the agency had deployed a five-member investigative team, including operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and internal auditors, to examine the allegations.
According to him, the investigation was prompted by numerous complaints received from affected students.
“As of right now, there are 34 institutions that we are looking at closely with respect to this issue,” he said.
Sawyerr explained that the double payment issue arose because President Bola Tinubu directed that the student loan scheme commence in the middle of an academic session instead of at the beginning.
He said the decision compelled many students to pay their tuition fees to meet registration deadlines while awaiting approval of their loan applications.
“What happened is that a lot of schools got double payment; some from the students and some from us,” he said.
“The refund process is entirely out of our hands. It is the recipient of the double payments that is obliged to make refunds to the students.”
The NELFUND boss noted that many students had borrowed money from family members, friends and other sources to pay their tuition with the expectation of receiving refunds once the loans were disbursed.
He said while some institutions had promptly refunded affected students, others had failed to do so.
“Some have been very good at this. Others haven’t been so good at it,” Sawyerr said.
“I reserve judgement on the intentionality around it because, for some of them, they just didn’t have the process to make refunds.”
Sawyerr disclosed that NELFUND was exploring a tokenised payment system that would enable students to authorise tuition payments directly to their institutions, thereby reducing the likelihood of duplicate payments.
He said the agency deliberately chose not to disburse tuition loans directly to students to minimise the risk of fund diversion.
“Paying the funds to the students could really lead to the temptation for them to divert and do other things,” he said.
The managing director, however, acknowledged that NELFUND lacked the statutory powers to compel institutions to refund students or prosecute officials found culpable.
He added that many frustrated students had submitted complaints not only to NELFUND but also to anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Sawyerr also expressed concern over increases in tuition fees by some institutions following the introduction of the student loan scheme.
He said NELFUND had declined to pay institutions that increased their tuition fees beyond acceptable levels.
“Some schools, because they get paid easily, started to put up their fees. We refused, point blank, to pay institutions who had hiked their fees beyond a certain level,” he said.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to investigating every reported irregularity and strengthening the implementation of the student loan programme through continuous monitoring and internal reviews.
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