The Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) has rolled out the drums to mark its 30th anniversary in Lagos. The high-profile event underscored the contributions of the creative industry to nation-building, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.
FOR the last 30 years, Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) has been responsible for all copyright matters as provided for by the Copyright Act, supporting the creative industries to maximise their potentials while adding value to Nigeria’s economy.
Last Monday, it flagged-off activities marking the celebrations at the Omenka Art Gallery 30th anniversary. The three-month event, according to NCC, will provide an opportunity to celebrate the evolution of the creative and copyright industries in the last 30 years, while underscoring their critical importance to our national development strides.
The ceremony featured the presentation of an awareness publication, “Learning Kit on Copyright for School Children” and unveiling of the anniversary theme and logo.
It drew eminent personalities such as Chairman of Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele; Chairman, Governing Board of NCC, Dr Tonye C. Jaja; pioneer Chairman of the Governing Board of NCC, Prof. Egerton E. Uvieghara; former Director of Culture, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr. Frank Aig-Imoukhuede; Federal Ministry of Justice, Director Laison Officer, Mr. L. N. Ofulue, representative of Permanent Secretary, Mr Dayo Apata; and President, Nigeria Publishers Association, Adedapo Gbadega. Bamidele, who chaired the event, observed that intellectual property (IP) can be a major foreign exchange earner for the country if properly harnessed, while calling for reforms to ensure works are better protected
“Intellectual property (IP) has become a major money spinner and foreign exchange earner for the every civilized country. But those who are going to invest in our economy through Intellectual property (IP) and home IP creators must see the capability of the regulatory framework in protecting the expression of those ideas which we call Intellectual property (IP). There is need for an upgrade that would make us compliance with global best practices. As far as we are concerned, these are some of issues that need to be addressed through legislation. And the National Assembly will work with the commission to ensure it,” he said.
Recounting the commission’s achievement over the years, the Director-General of NCC, Mr John Ohi Asein, said the three-month celebration is meant to create a platform to for the commission to reconnect with, and strengthen its relationship with stakeholders. He said: “We look forward to partnership with our stakeholders, to create greater awareness among important policy institutions with a view to raising the profile of the copyright system in national discourse and taking the creative industry in Nigeria to the next level.
“The Commission has lined up a number of activities to commemorate the anniversary between the months of August and November 2019. We have created booth camps where the “Learning Kit on Copyright for School Children” will be distributed and taught to children.”
Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor Moses Ekpo, called for collaboration between practitioners and operators in the creative industry and NCC to bring about changes and benefit of all. He said: “Copyright is so dynamic and we must continue to improve to meet up with the changing trends. Working together, the task of sustaining an efficient copyright system will be better achieved. I congratulate the Board, Management and staff of NCC for creating this opportunity of celebrating one of Nigeria’s great industries. I congratulate more specially, practitioners in the creative industries, for their resilience in working to put Nigeria in the global map of countries whose arts are cherished and respected.
“I urge all state governments to complement the efforts of the Commission by providing accommodation and basic support for the establishment of copyright offices in their states to help in developing creative industries and contribute to the economy of the nation.”
Highlighting the impact of the creative industry to the development of the country, Jaja, who was represented by Dr Alewai Mamza, stated that the copyright industry in Nigeria has done a lot in terms of fostering a global image of our culture. “The Nigerian Copyright Commission is committed to making the copyright industry effective, rewarding and globally competitive. In line with our mandate, we shall continue to engage with our stakeholders to promote effective rights management, proactive enforcement against rights violations, and building linkages at national and international levels to ensure the visibility of Nigeria as a leading nation on copyright and intellectual property protection.”
Other guests at the event included President of Society for Nigerian Artists (SNA), Oliver Enwonwu; National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), Isreal Eboh; Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji; legendary reggae singer, Orits Wiliki; former president NANTAP, Makinde Adeniran; Lagos SNA chairman, Idowu Sonaya; Committee For Relevant Arts (CORA), Programmes Chair, Jahman Anikulapo, and comedian Koffi Ayinde Idowu Nuel.
Leave a Reply