President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the digitisation of the National Film and Video Censor Board (NFVCB), library for sustainable preservation of Nigeria’s audiovisual heritage.
Alhaji Adedayo Thomas, Executive Director of NFVCB made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, in commemoration of the 2020 World Audiovisual Heritage Day(WAHD).
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Your Window to the World”.
He said that the president gave the approval through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
“The world day is an opportunity to redouble our efforts in the preservation of our common audiovisual wealth,which forms an essential part of our shared history.
“The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) raised concerns over loss of documents and the need to preserve our value and culture, documentation of sound and new development in the history of Africa.
“This year, as we mark the World audiovisual Day, fortunately for Nigeria and the present administration, efforts are being made for all the ministries, agencies to digitalise their materials and documents.
“The NFVCB has over 30,000 videos and other documents to be digitalised.
“We will take advantage of this opportunity to preserve our good culture, moral, understanding and create memories for our young people.
“They need to understand past events, in order to shape their present and forge ahead with the future”. he added.
Thomas reiterated the agency’s capacity to ensure that all materials, videos are digitalised in the first quarter of 2021.
“We have identified 60 Icons who have contributed in shaping Nigeria’s film industry.
“We also have approval to document Nigeria’s 60th anniversary in honour of these legends and Icons in the forthcoming first NFVCB award in 2021,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is celebrated every year on Oct. 27.
NAN also reports that the commemorative day was chosen by UNESCO in 2005 to raise awareness of the significance and preservation risks of recorded recorded sound and audiovisual documents (films, sound and video recordings, radio and television programmes).
