Nigeria becomes first African country to regulate media portrayal of tobacco, rituals

Nigeria has become the first African country to formally regulate the portrayal of tobacco use, money rituals, and narcotics in media content, according to a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB).

The announcement was made following the board’s presentation at the 2025 World Tobacco Conference held in Ireland, where the country’s new policy was praised as a bold and visionary step toward safeguarding public health and cultural values.

The National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB, which positioned Nigeria as a trailblazer in African media regulation, said the regulation borders on the control of the promotion and glamourisation of tobacco, narcotics, ritual killings, and money rituals at the World Tobacco Conference in Ireland, held from 22- 27 June 2025.