The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has announced that it approved and classified 1,185 films between January and December 2025, marking a notable increase from the 1,088 films recorded in 2024.
The Director of Corporate Affairs of the board, Ogbonna Onwumere, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He said the rise in approvals reflects sustained growth in Nigeria’s film industry and increased activity among filmmakers and distributors across the country.
Onwumere explained that the films approved during the period cut across multiple genres and languages, underscoring the vibrancy of local productions as well as the continued submission of foreign-language titles for classification.
He noted that English-language films recorded the highest number of approvals in 2025, followed by Yoruba and Igbo productions, while Hausa and other indigenous language films appeared less frequently. However, he pointed out that there was broader representation of indigenous languages such as Nupe, Berom, and Gbagyi, particularly in September 2025.
According to him, audience rating data showed a strong concentration of films classified under 15 and 18 ratings, indicating that most of the productions approved in 2025 were aimed at mature audiences. In contrast, family-friendly ratings such as G, PG and 12A were relatively fewer, suggesting limited production of content targeted at children and general audiences.
A month-by-month analysis revealed that May 2025 recorded the highest number of approvals, with 173 films classified during the month.
Onwumere reaffirmed the board’s commitment to promoting diversity in film production, encouraging increased investment in family-friendly content, and expanding the use of indigenous Nigerian languages. He added that the NFVCB has reduced classification fees for films produced in indigenous languages other than Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa to encourage more submissions.
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