Kano State Censorship Board has revoked the operational licences of all actors and actresses, including  
directors and producers in its film-making industry popularly known as Kannywood.

The head of the board, Abba El-Mustapha, said the decision aims to sanitise the industry and ensure proper documentation.

El-Mustapha said all celebrities and producers must renew their licences to operate in the state.

“We have cancelled all licences of all guilds in the industry for proper documentation and to have effective plans that will address some of the problems in the industry.

“We have about 13 guilds; we have revoked all their licences, enabling us to sanitise the industry. Before a license is issued to any person, we must be satisfied with the person.

“The decision also affects all the singers and other entertainers in the Kannywood industry;/they must renew their licences, and we are going to fetch out the bad eggs among them, El-Mustapha told Freedom Radio on Saturday.

Reactions have been slow and mixed given the stronghold that the state government has on the entertainment and creative sector in the northern part of Nigeria.