Creative Industry
Copyright Levy Order Finally Implemented as MCSN Gets ₦1.2bn. Boost for Nigerian Musicians
Cyril Ogar
The Musical Copyright Society Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN) has announced the receipt of the first tranche of the Copyright Levy fund under Section 89 of the Copyright Act 2022, amounting to ₦1,205,956,580.20, covering musical works and sound recordings.
In a statement, issued by MCSN on Wednesday in Abuja, it expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for providing the political will that made the long-awaited implementation possible. The society also acknowledged the support of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Honourable Minister of Finance, the Accountant-General of the Federation, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Ohi Asein, whose collective efforts ensured the success of the process.
According to MCSN, the payment aligns squarely with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration to position the creative industry as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy. The society stressed that the development is not political, but an economic reality with far-reaching implications for Nigerian creators.
The copyright levy, though embedded in Nigeria’s copyright laws since 1988, had never been implemented until the current administration. MCSN noted that the eventual disbursement of the fund will reach grassroots creators across the country, helping to lift many musicians out of long-standing economic hardship.
While welcoming the progress, MCSN expressed concern over what it described as sustained attempts by certain interests to frustrate the collective management system that underpins copyright administration in Nigeria. The society specifically referenced campaigns by the Record Labels Proprietors Initiative (RELPI), which it said falsely claims to represent sound recording owners without clearly defining its legal status or interests.
MCSN explained that rights in sound recordings are shared interests between producers and performers, and in Nigeria, many performers and independent producers (owners of copyright in sound recording) are direct members and assignors of MCSN.
It added that the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN), the only legally recognised association of performers and music employers, has a subsisting agreement with MCSN to represent these interests.
The society further stated that RELPI comprises just nine entities, many of which are foreign-interest dominated and already operate under collective management systems in their home countries. MCSN argued that attempts to undermine Nigeria’s collective management framework run contrary to national interest, African Union policy, and international best practices under conventions such as the Berne Convention and WIPO Copyright Treaty.
MCSN reaffirmed that it remains the licensed body to collectively manage rights in musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria under the Copyright Act 2022, adding that any deviation would return the industry to decades of confusion and inefficiency.
In closing, the society reiterated its appreciation to President Tinubu for what it described as a landmark intervention that promises real change for Nigerian musicians and the wider creative sector.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for touching the lives of our musicians across the board. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement concluded.
Creative Industry
FG Backs MyCityApp Launch of 100-Day Tourism Calendar to Drive $100bn Economic Growth
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the launch of MyCityApp, a Nigerian city discovery and tourism platform designed to aggregate festivals, concerts, cultural events and lifestyle experiences into a single digital calendar.
The platform, which flags off the 100-Day Tourism Calendar, was unveiled on Monday at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, with the initiative targeting Nigeria’s estimated $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Media and Publicity Adviser to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the ministry said the conference was aimed at mobilising public and private stakeholders to transform the September-to-December festive period into jobs, investment and economic growth.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said millions of visitors travel across Nigeria every year to celebrate, reconnect and experience the country’s diverse culture, stressing that the festive season could be deliberately organised and monetised to strengthen tourism’s contribution to the economy.
“This initiative is about moving beyond the traditional concept of a festive season. It is about deliberately organising, packaging, promoting, and monetising one of the most economically active periods in our national calendar,” Musawa said.
She noted that every visitor generates economic activity across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans and local communities.
The Minister commended MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Chukwu, for her vision and commitment to the initiative.
She urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders to list their festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural celebrations, fashion and sporting events on the national calendar.
Musawa said the platform would enable Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover tourism and entertainment experiences across the country from a single, credible source.
Earlier, Chukwu said Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and creative sector provided enormous opportunities for tourism-driven economic growth.
She cited the contributions of tourism to the economies of countries such as Spain, France and the United States, arguing that Nigeria could equally build a $100 billion tourism economy.
Also present were Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke; NCAC Director-General, Obi Asika; National Gallery of Art Director-General, Ahmed Sodangi; ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo; and MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr Karl Toriola.
MyLagosApp and MyCityApp will serve as the digital engines of the calendar, distributing events through a 360-degree media ecosystem to audiences in Nigeria and the diaspora.
Stakeholders were encouraged to upload their events on MyCityApp to participate in the national tourism calendar urging them to upload events on http://www.MyCityApp.io.
-
Featured7 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured6 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured7 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured7 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Featured7 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
-
Sports4 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News2 years agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
