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The short answer
A cinema in Nigeria needs two licences from the National Film and Video Censors Board: an exhibitor's licence for the business and an exhibition premises licence for each hall. Published fees run from ₦1,000,000 for a community exhibitor licence and ₦150,000 for a small hall of up to 100 seats, plus processing fees, all paid through the RevOP portal.
The two licences, explained
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) regulates the exhibition of films in Nigeria. It licenses the business that shows films, called the exhibitor, and separately licenses each place where films are shown, called the exhibition premises. A company running three halls in one building needs one exhibitor licence and premises licences that match the halls it operates.
Exhibitor licence
| Exhibitor category | Licence fee | Minimum share capital | Processing fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| National (multiple states) | ₦5,000,000 | ₦5,000,000 | ₦50,000 |
| Regional (single state or region) | ₦3,500,000 | ₦3,000,000 | ₦50,000 |
| Suburban or state | ₦2,500,000 | Not listed | ₦50,000 |
| Community or LGA | ₦1,000,000 | ₦1,000,000 | ₦50,000 |
Exhibition premises licence
| Premises type | Seats | Licence fee | Processing fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major hall (cosmopolitan areas) | 201 and above | ₦250,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Medium hall (urban areas) | 101 to 200 | ₦200,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Small hall (suburban areas) | 1 to 100 | ₦150,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Community exhibition premises | Up to 100 | ₦150,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Drive-in cinema | Subject to approval | ₦350,000 | ₦10,000 |
| Mobile cinema | Subject to approval | ₦350,000 | ₦10,000 |
Fees are as published on the NFVCB licensing page in October 2026. Payments must go through the government's RevOP portal; the board says payments made outside it will not be accepted.
Renewal costs
Exhibitor licences renew every year. Renewing before expiry costs 20% of the new licence fee; renewing after expiry costs 50%. Premises licences renew at the original licence fee. Put the expiry date in your calendar with a month's warning, because the difference is large.
Worked example (published fees): a community exhibitor with one small hall of 80 seats pays ₦1,000,000 plus ₦50,000 processing for the exhibitor licence, and ₦150,000 plus ₦10,000 for the premises licence: ₦1,210,000 in the first year. Renewing the exhibitor licence on time costs ₦200,000 (20% of ₦1,000,000) rather than ₦500,000 late, plus ₦150,000 for the premises.
From site to first screening
- Register a company with the CAC with share capital that meets your exhibitor category.
- Choose the exhibitor category that matches where you will operate.
- Find a building with the height, floor area and exits a screening hall needs, and agree a lease that allows the use.
- Check requirements with the NFVCB, using the board's checklist for each licence, before fit-out.
- Fit out the hall: seating, sound treatment, projection, air conditioning, lighting, exits and fire equipment.
- Apply and pay through RevOP, then arrange inspection.
- Agree film supply with licensed distributors and screen only classified films.
Contact the board's licensing desk at nfvcb_ldd@nfvcb.gov.ng or any NFVCB zonal office for the requirement checklist that applies to your category.
Programming and revenue
Ticket sales are rarely the whole business. Concessions, private hire, school screenings and corporate bookings often decide whether a hall pays for itself. Plan these early:
- Concessions: popcorn, drinks and snacks, with stock counted daily.
- Private screenings and birthday bookings on weekday afternoons when halls are quiet.
- School and church group packages, priced per head.
- Nollywood premieres and community events, which bring in people who rarely visit cinemas.
- Off-peak pricing to fill seats on Monday to Thursday.
Track occupancy by show time. If the 1pm show on weekdays rarely sells a third of seats, a private hire or a cheaper matinee may earn more than a regular screening. Stagger start times across halls so the concession counter is busy all evening rather than swamped for ten minutes.
Running costs to plan for
Power is usually the largest running cost after rent for a Nigerian cinema, because projection and air conditioning run for hours. Plan backup generation or solar, and maintenance contracts for projectors and air conditioners. Staff for ticketing, ushering, concessions and cleaning work in shifts. Insurance for equipment and public liability protects you if something goes wrong with a full hall. Build all of these into the ticket price you set, alongside the distributor's share of each ticket.
Set a monthly budget with each of these lines and compare it with what the cinema took in. Cinemas have quiet months between big releases and busy weeks around holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Sallah, so look at the year as a whole rather than judging the business on one slow month. Keep a cash reserve that covers at least the fixed costs of a quiet month, and plan maintenance for the weeks with the weakest release schedule so a projector is not out of action on a holiday weekend.
- Rent or mortgage on the building.
- Fuel, gas or solar maintenance for power.
- Projector lamps or laser servicing and sound system upkeep.
- Air conditioning servicing.
- Staff wages for every shift.
- Licence renewals each year, booked before expiry.
- Insurance and security.
Finally, consider ticketing. Selling online or by transfer before the show reduces queues and cash handling, and gives you data on which films and times sell. Keep a record of every ticket sold for each screening, which you will need to settle accurately with distributors.
Where Pryme fits
Movies and cinema is a supported Spaces sector. A cinema that opens a Pryme Business Account can join Spaces and reach customers who hold Loans on Spaces: credit lent by Solid Allianze MFB that can only be spent with Spaces merchants, which brings paying customers to tickets and concessions. Our guide to offering pay-later explains the merchant side. The account includes bank-transfer checkout for online ticket sales and payroll for shift staff. For merchant terms, contact Pryme, and if you also host events read how to start an event centre.
Questions people ask
How much is an NFVCB cinema licence?
The NFVCB lists exhibitor licences from ₦1,000,000 (community) to ₦5,000,000 (national), plus a ₦50,000 processing fee, and premises licences from ₦150,000 to ₦350,000, plus ₦10,000 processing.
Do I need a licence for a small viewing centre?
Yes. The NFVCB licenses exhibition premises of any size, including small halls of up to 100 seats and community exhibition premises.
How do I pay NFVCB licence fees?
Through the RevOP portal. The board says payments made outside RevOP will not be accepted.
How often do I renew a cinema licence?
Exhibitor licences renew annually at 20% of the new fee before expiry or 50% after. Premises licences renew at the original fee.
Sources
- Licensing requirements and fees (National Film and Video Censors Board) · accessed Oct 2026
- How much does it cost to incorporate a company in Nigeria? (Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.