As part of activities marking the 2025 Africa Copyright and Collective Management Day, the Audio – Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), in collaboration with NCC, WIPO, CISAC and MCSN recently hosted the Colloquium on Copyright Licensing for Public Performance.
Held at the UBEC Digital Centre, Abuja, the colloquium brought together regulators, rights holders, industry stakeholders, tourism operators, and members of the creative community to engage in a robust discussion on how copyright compliance can be repositioned as a strategic investment in business sustainability.
The event opened with a welcome address by the Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, who emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between the government, creative industry operators, and collective management organisations to ensure effective licensing practices in Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote, DG, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Chief Obi Asika stressed the centrality of music to business growth: “Music is not free — it’s fair trade. We are connected and cannot be separated. Music contributes directly to your business success, and it is time for fair compensation, as happens everywhere else in the world. Licensing is never expensive — it’s about getting everyone into the net so the system works for all.”
Hospitality and legal expert, Chief Samuel Alabi, highlighted challenges and solutions in copyright compliance: “It is rather unfortunate that many prospective licensees are still dilly-dallying with compliance. Such practices only lead to prohibitive tariffs and litigation costs.”
Special remarks were also delivered by Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Chairman of AVRS; Pupa Oritz Wiliki, Chairman of MCSN; Dr. Shaibu Husseini, Director-General of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB); and Mr. Richard Esewhaye Ovie, Acting Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA). The international dimension was underscored by the participation of Dr. Moody Oluwatobiloba, Director at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
The hospitality and tourism industry were represented by Mr. Emeka Ezekwesili, President of the Hotel Owners Forum Abuja (HOFA), and Dr. Aliyu Badaki, President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN).
From the Nollywood community, leading actors including Monalisa Chinda, Ejike Asiegbu, Makama Sani Muazu and Francis Duru lent their voices to the discussions, underscoring the importance of copyright compliance for the sustainability of Nigeria’s film and creative industries.
The Colloquium also featured two technical workshop sessions facilitated by intellectual property experts, Barrister Michael O. Akpan and Dr. Chinedu A. Chukwuji, who delivered practical insights on compliance and its business benefits.
In recognition of their immense contributions to advancing public performance compliance culture in Nigeria, plaques of appreciation were presented to the keynote and guest speakers, as well as to the workshop facilitators.
