DIRECTOR-GENERAL, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John O. Asein, has assured Officials of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), of the Commissions’ readiness to collaborate in the area of capacity building during the 2024 National Convention of the association.
This was stated during an advocacy visit by NANTAP Officials led by its President, Mr. Israel Ebho, to the Commission’s Headquarters, Abuja on 3rd September 2024.
In his address, the DG-NCC, commended NANTAP for considering NCC as a partner at the convention and assured that the Commission will live up to expectation.
He observed that there is a renewed interest in the rights of performers and there is need for stakeholders to do more to follow the developments and bring some of it to bear on Performers in Nigeria.
Expressing his delight over the renew drive of stakeholders back to the theatre, he observed that theatre performance has been deserted earlier but “there’s nothing like the theatre, the theatre fed a lot of industry, it fed Nollywood and helped to shape it, any opportunity we have to acknowledge the place of the theatre we will always utilize it”, he stated.
He informed the team that the Commission will use the opportunity of the forthcoming convention to highlight and sensitise some of the provisions in the Copyright Act such as protection of choreographic works, protection of dance performing as a performer and others to enhance the knowledge of Performers on their rights as copyright stakeholders.
Commenting on the theme of the convention: Theatre, Politics and National Development, Dr. Asein, stated that the developments in the creative industry shows that” we have a government that is sensitive to the place of theatre and creativity in national development”. Lauding the Government for the recent improvement and renovation of the National Theatre, he said the structure is iconic and symbolises our essence as a people and must be treasured. He urged practitioners in the theatre space to be reawakened to the significance of renaming of the structure after the Nobel Leaurate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, as lot can still happen.
The President NANTAP, had earlier in his speech disclosed that one of the sub-themes at the convention focuses on Intellectual Property (IP) and Copyright particularly in the performing arts. The assigning of Copyright Day at the convention, he noted, necessitated the advocacy visit to the Commission.
Speaking further on his expectation at the convention, the DG-NCC said, he looks further to an organic convergence of all the theatre practitioners while issues of contracts which touch on all those in the performing industry will be addressed. He also disclosed that the convention presents an opportunity to enlighten stakeholders on the protection of expression of folklore, a provision in the Copyright Act that has been dormant for a while. He said the Commission will try and open up such areas for practitioners to look at and help with the implementations of the provisions.
On women empowerment at the convention, he said in line with the ongoing We Win project of the Commission, Women IP experts will be brought in as resource persons to mentor other women and share experiences on IP. Other NANTAP Officials at the meeting are: Deputy President, Mrs. Esther Onwuka and Publicity Secretary, Mr. Om’oba Jerry Adesewo.
Amos Abutu
For: Director-General