Director of Nigeria’s biggest movie, Half of a Yellow Sun, Biyi Bandele, has warned the country’s censorship board that it risks becoming another Boko Haram if it refuses to approve the film for showing in Nigeria.

Bandele in an article entitled “Why can’t Nigerians watch country’s biggest movie?” published by CNN declared that the NVFCB has no valid reason to delay the release of the internationally acclaimed film.

He wrote: “After all, when the movie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last autumn, amongst the entourage of Nigerians who flew in to Toronto for the occasion was Patricia Bala, director-general of the Nigerian censorship board.

“Bala had arrived in Toronto – I was told – with several of her colleagues from the censor’s office.

“It is now nearly eight months since Bala and her board first saw the movie in Toronto and a few weeks since she and her board have failed to issue Half of a Yellow Sun the certification that it needs – that the law requires it obtains before it can be shown in cinemas in Nigeria.”

On the dangers of NFVCB refusing to approve the film for release in Nigeria, Bandele wrote: “Whether or not the film eventually gets a ratings certificate in Nigeria, Half of a Yellow Sun will be seen by millions of Nigerians. The question is: will they be allowed to see it in their local cinemas and on legally acquired DVDs or will they be forced to watch it on pirate DVDs and through illegal downloads? If the biggest film that’s ever been made in Nigeria is available to Nigerians only in bootleg form, the censorship board will be doing to the Nigerian film industry what Boko Haram is trying to do to Nigeria: drive a stake through its heart. I sincerely hope they both fail.”

•Photo shows NFVCB DG Patricia Bala. News Express will shortly publish Biyi Bandele’s article in full. Please watch out!

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