THURSDAY May 30 at Freedom Park Lagos, a summit of skit makers, filmmakers, content creators, lawyers, journalists, relevant government officials, social media influencers, art enthusiasts, and other stakeholders, will hold to address the rights and limitations of artists in using set, props and costumes similar to uniforms of law enforcement and security agencies as well as depiction of the institutions and the conduct of their personnel.
Convened by Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Media and Creativity Committee, in collaboration with Elixir Trust Foundation, the hybrid summit is to enlighten both the creative content producers and the law enforcement agents as well as the general public on rights and respnsibilites associated with deploying such materials in artistic productions.
While we acknowledge that government has a responsibility to enforce law and order, it must meet national, regional, and international human rights standards. Practitioners are concerned about increasing arbitrary enforcement of policies and regulation of content in the creative sector
Why the summit?
A briefing note from the UVA titled “The need for the 2024 Freedom Vibes Summit”, reads:
UVA, through its monitoring of censorship in Nigeria, notes with concerns, increasing restrictions to artists’ ability to create, especially when the works relate to political and religious matters.
In May 2022, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos, placed a skit maker, Matthew Eze, under surveillance for his use of jackets similar to that of NDLEA during video skits. The Inspector General of Police, in July 2022, threatened to arrest skit filmmakers over ‘‘unauthorized use’’ of police uniforms. In August 2023, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority stated that the use of its uniforms, kits, and accessories by film and skit makers is illegal. The traffic management authority’s Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, criticized the ‘‘demeaning’’ portrayal of the organization and stated that Section 79 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State criminalizes such ‘‘unauthorized’’ use, this was after a popular comedian Abdul Gafar Ahmad, a.k.a. Cute Abiola, was threatened to be prosecuted in July 2023 for making use of the police uniform in his two skits posted on his social media handles.
Just recently, precisely on 26th March 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) announced their collaboration to address the issue of ‘‘criminal content’’ in Nigerian films and video productions. The EFCC had urged the NFVCB to regulate and censor content deemed as glamourising internet fraud and currency mutilation to prevent such from shaping public perceptions and behaviour.
While we acknowledge that government has a responsibility to enforce law and order, it must meet national, regional, and international human rights standards. Practitioners are concerned about increasing arbitrary enforcement of policies and regulation of content in the creative sector. In a democracy, reforms require proper engagements with all stakeholders.
It is against this backdrop that UVA and NBA Committee are bringing all stakeholders together through a summit.
Purpose of the Summit
- The summit is a hybrid event. Participants and speakers have the option of either attending physically/in-person or participating virtually/online via Zoom webinar.
- The deliberations and presentations will be divided into Stakeholders Submissions, Panel Discussions and Q&A Interactive Sessions scheduled to happen between the hours of 9.30am and 1pm with short breaks of 10-15 minutes and a 1-hour lunchbreak
- Each stakeholders’ submission shall last for 2-10 minutes (depending on the peculiarities of the group)
- The Panel Session (details of which will be communicated to all speakers upon acceptance) shall last for 40 minutes.
Please Register with the link attached –
