The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has announced and awarded the winners of its #SmokefreeNollywood Skit Challenge which focused on campaigning against tobacco in the movie industry.
The winners are; Oluwafemi James & Ojo Peter, the overall winner; Popoola Abiola Isaac, 1st Runner-up, Ilemobola Michael Oluwasegun, 2nd Runner-up, Dale Godstime Osamuyimen, 3rd Runner-up and Shamange Karen Nguyilan, 4th Runner-up.
The contest received a total of 126 entries with 5 winners selected, where contestants were expected to share messages on the dangers of smoking and a call to action to urge the Nigerian government to enforce the ban on tobacco advertising promotion and sponsorships.
The top three winners received a high-quality professional camera, a laptop equipped with production software and capacity, and a mobile phone respectively while the third and fourth runner-ups received cash prizes of 60,000 and 40,000 naira respectively.
While giving his opening remark at the presentation of prizes to winners, Akinbode Oluwafemi, the Executive Director of CAPPA, said the tobacco industry targets young people with tobacco promotional activities, using themes of independence, class, and risk-taking, etc, and CAPPA decided to use a reverse strategy to capture the young people.
Oluwafemi said, “CAPPA’s intervention through the Skit Challenge is a reverse strategy. While the tobacco industry wants to capture their minds and their lungs, we have decided instead to engage their creative abilities to spread anti-tobacco messages, especially the need for the federal government to strictly enforce the ban on TAPS.
“The same minds that the tobacco industry creatively manipulates to woo into smoking and addiction, have through the Challenge shown that they can use their time and talent for advocacy purposes which ultimately protects them from the industry. The youths have a choice, and their choice is not to become replacement smokers.
He thereafter demanded that government agencies like “the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) enforce the ban on Tobacco Advertising Promotion and Sponsorships (TAPS) with emphasis on the movies and entertainment sector;
“Introduction of ratings in movies with smoking scenes in cases where historical accuracy is required; Collaboration of the regulatory bodies and all critical stakeholders including the professional bodies to rid smoking in Nollywood movies and the entertainment sector.”
Also, Philip Jakpor, Director of Programmes, CAPPA, buttressed that the challenge is “a reverse strategy because we all know that the tobacco industry targets young people as smokers, to see smoking scenes as glamorous and adventurous. We decided to use them and recruit them into the campaign for the government to take stiffer actions to ban smoking in Nollywood.”
He also commended the youths that have participated in the challenge, for using their creativity positively.
The winners applauded CAPPA for the initiative, which according to them is 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.
