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The Islamic enforcement agency also launched coordinated crackdowns across major commercial centers within Kano’s state capital.
By Aderinola Abimbola
A profound cultural and economic friction point has been ignited across Northern Nigeria as the Kano State Hisbah Board has made moves to intensify the enforcement of a total ban on commercial plazas and hubs downloading secular movies onto citizens’ mobile phones.
The ban, targeted at eradicating ‘side-loading,’ a widespread practice that allows millions of Nigerians without affordable, high-speed internet access to have the latest Nollywood, Kannywood, and Hollywood films transferred directly into their mobile devices, quickly stirred up the debate surrounding morality and personal freedom in Nigeria.
The Islamic enforcement agency also launched coordinated crackdowns across major commercial centers within Kano’s state capital. They explained that they are operating under strict religious, cultural, and moral preservation mandates, adding that they saw the need to curb the rapid growth of immorality in the state.
Although the board views the ban through a moral lens, lifestyle bloggers, digital rights advocates and citizens argued about the immediate financial damage being inflicted on grassroot tech ecosystems. They noted that running a ‘download and phone charging’, business is the main source of income for thousands of youths in Kano.
