Nigerian regulator to seek removal of series from YouTube — Premium Times Nigeria
Nigeria’s National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) said it would seek the removal from YouTube of the series Living in Colours, which addresses sexuality and the relationships of LGBT characters. Three episodes of the project became available again on 13 September on the Prism House Studio channel after the series had previously been removed from the platform.
As Premium Times Nigeria reports, the seven-episode project was first uploaded to YouTube on 30 August. This happened four days after the NFVCB said it intended to prevent the series’ planned premiere at a Lagos cinema. Before its removal on 2 September, each episode had received more than 90,000 views, according to the channel’s counter.
The regulator’s position
The NFVCB claims that the creators did not submit the series for review and classification before its public screening. The regulator also stated that the trailer contained what the agency described as “explicit pornography” and promoted same-sex relationships.
The board reported cooperating with federal and state security agencies to stop the planned event. It also warned the venue of possible sanctions for screening an unclassified film, including closure of the establishment and revocation of its licence.
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NFVCB Executive Director and CEO Shaibu Husseini told the publication that the regulator would use all available mechanisms to remove the series from streaming platforms, including YouTube. According to him, the agency believes that the project promotes something that is illegal in Nigeria.
Legal basis
The NFVCB refers, among other things, to Nigeria’s 2013 Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. The document prohibits same-sex marriages and civil unions, as well as the public display of same-sex romantic relationships directly or indirectly. Certain violations provided for by law may carry up to ten years in prison.
At the same time, the question of whether the artistic depiction of same-sex relationships in a series falls under the definition of public display has not been considered by a court in this case. The circumstances of the first removal of the videos are also not specified: it is unknown whether YouTube removed the clips or whether the creators did so themselves, as well as whether the NFVCB sent a formal blocking request.
