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The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has initiated a major regulatory partnership with China to end piracy and illegal distribution of films between both countries.

The move was brokered at the 23rd Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF 2026) on Friday by the festival founder, Mr. Fidelis Duker, who facilitated a high-level bilateral meeting between Nigerian and Chinese film authorities.

The meeting had in attendance the executive director and chief executive officer of the NFVCB, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, alongside his top management team and a Chinese delegation led by the chairman of Huaxia Film Distribution Co. Ltd, Mr. Bai Yimin.

Also on the Chinese side were senior officials of the China Film Administration, signaling Beijing’s strong commitment to building a formal and legal film trade pipeline with Nollywood.

Central to the discussions was the alarming rate of piracy that has been said to have denied Nigerian filmmakers legitimate earnings from the vast Asian market and allowed unclassified foreign films into West Africa.

To address this, both parties agreed to establish authorised theatrical distribution pipelines that will ensure only legally vetted, licensed, and classified films are allowed to cross borders.

The framework will effectively shut out pirated Nollywood content from thriving in China, while also creating a structured channel for approved Chinese films to be screened across Nigeria and West Africa.

Another key pillar of the agreement is the streamlining of licensing mechanisms, which will simplify legal documentation and rights-acquisition processes for filmmakers on both sides.

The regulators also began talks on co-classification standards, with both boards understudying each other’s censorship systems to ensure content complies with local cultural and regulatory standards before shipment.

To deepen the partnership, the China Film Administration pledged technical support to Nigeria in advanced cinematic technology, modern film curation, and digital archiving, and formally invited Dr. Husseini to Beijing to finalize the protocols into binding policy.