Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice Nigeria, Atinuke Babatunde, has expressed deep concern over the rising wave of digital piracy in the country, revealing that the tenth season of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) was illegally streamed more than five million times.
Babatunde made the disclosure on Friday at the 2025 Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive) in Lagos, where industry stakeholders gathered to discuss the theme “Powering Africa Through Creative Enterprise.”
She described the volume of piracy as a major economic threat to Nigeria’s creative industry. “This is not mischief; it’s theft, and it is economic sabotage that must be stopped,” she said.
According to Babatunde, outdated copyright regulations and weak cross-border protections have limited the effectiveness of anti-piracy efforts. She called for urgent reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework to match the realities of modern digital content consumption.
“We need modern copyright laws, enforcement frameworks, and cross-border protections,” she said, stressing that creative content must be safeguarded to ensure industry sustainability.
Her remarks come as MultiChoice has, in recent weeks, led anti-piracy awareness walks across major cities to educate the public on the dangers of illegal streaming and content theft.
Babatunde reiterated that the creative sector remains a critical engine of economic growth, noting: “When creativity rises, the entire economy rises. When African stories travel, African industry grows. When African creators thrive, Africans thrive.”
She urged stakeholders across the continent to unite in protecting Africa’s creative output. “This is our moment not to dream but to build, not to respond but to lead, not to wait but to act. The continent’s creative century has already begun; let’s make sure Africa owns it,” she added.
Babatunde made the disclosure on Friday at the 2025 Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NECLive) in Lagos, where industry stakeholders gathered to discuss the theme “Powering Africa Through Creative Enterprise.”
She described the volume of piracy as a major economic threat to Nigeria’s creative industry. “This is not mischief; it’s theft, and it is economic sabotage that must be stopped,” she said.
According to Babatunde, outdated copyright regulations and weak cross-border protections have limited the effectiveness of anti-piracy efforts. She called for urgent reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework to match the realities of modern digital content consumption.
“We need modern copyright laws, enforcement frameworks, and cross-border protections,” she said, stressing that creative content must be safeguarded to ensure industry sustainability.
Her remarks come as MultiChoice has, in recent weeks, led anti-piracy awareness walks across major cities to educate the public on the dangers of illegal streaming and content theft.
Babatunde reiterated that the creative sector remains a critical engine of economic growth, noting: “When creativity rises, the entire economy rises. When African stories travel, African industry grows. When African creators thrive, Africans thrive.”
She urged stakeholders across the continent to unite in protecting Africa’s creative output. “This is our moment not to dream but to build, not to respond but to lead, not to wait but to act. The continent’s creative century has already begun; let’s make sure Africa owns it,” she added.
