Winners have emerged in the Smokefree Nollywood Skit Challenge, a competition focused on campaigning against tobacco smoking in the movie industry in Nigeria.
Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and public participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi while presenting the prizes to the winners in Lagos described the contest as a strategy to capture young people by engaging them in creative activities to spread anti-tobacco messages.
The contest organised by the corporate accountability and public participation Africa(CAPPA) received 126 entries with 5 winners selected.
The contestants were expected to share messages on the dangers of smoking and urge the Nigerian government to strictly enforce the ban on tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorships TAPS.
Executive Director, CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi says while the tobacco industry targets young people with tobacco promotional activities, using themes of independence, class, and risk-taking, CAPPA decided to use a reverse strategy to capture the young people by engaging them in creative activities to spread anti-tobacco messages.
He called on government agencies like “the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to enforce the ban on Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorships (TAPS) with emphasis on the movies and entertainment sector.
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The top three winners received a high-quality professional camera, a laptop equipped with production software, and a mobile phone respectively while the third and fourth runner-ups received cash prizes of 60,000 and 40,000 naira respectively.
Philip Jakpor, Director of Programmes, CAPPA, buttressed that the challenge is “a reverse strategy to counter the tobacco industry’s tactic of making young people view smoking scenes as glamorous and adventurous through smoking scenes in Nollywood.”
He commended the youths who participated in the challenge, for using their creativity positively.
The winners expressed appreciation to CAPPA for the initiative, which to them is a means of encouraging and promoting their talents, as well as addressing societal vices.
The #SmokeFreeNollywood Skit challenge was initiated and executed by Anjola Fatuase, a digital media officer at CAPPA.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
