DIRECTOR-GENERAL, Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein has underscored the necessity of educating potential creatives as a vital instrument to enhance innovation and creativity in Nigeria.
This was disclosed during a study tour initiative and visit of the 2025 WIPO National Essay Competition finalists to the Commission’s headquarters, Abuja on 1st December 2025.
Reiterating the commitment of the NCC to supporting growth of creativity in schools, the DG stated that ‘’ for Nigeria to actually grow and use innovation and creativity, it must educate those who are going to be producing that innovation or creativity’.’ To this effect he noted that the NCC will continue to provide the necessary digestible materials to enhance Intellectual Property (IP) while steps will be taken with the National Universities Commission to ensure that IP knowledge and modules are inculcated in the General Studies curriculum.
Congratulating the 2025 WIPO National Essay finalists, he commended the Director, WIPO Nigeria Office, Dr. Moody Oluwatobiloba and his team for the wonderful work. He urged the finalists to improve and build on acquired knowledge as potential copyright experts as some of their essays and research recommendations will be taken further for documentation and publishing which will be explored for policy formulation.
Dr. Asein informed that the propagation of the IP knowledge is on course and the NCC is leveraging on their position as the finalists to enlist them as copyright education ambassadors to complement what the Commission is already doing in the areas of building copyright knowledge, engaging with schools and creating platforms to provide learning on copyright. Similarly, he hinted of their enlistment as copyright ambassadors for the online community and as part of the volunteers’ taskforce members that will be used in checking online piracy and promoting lawful consumption of creative contents.
While urging them to respect copyright and act responsibly when dealing with copyright materials, he hinted that the Commission is counting on their innovative spirit and disposition to solutions in the area of rights management, enforcement, capacity building for rights owners to providing better pathways for people to explore. He intimated of the NCC’s readiness to amplify their solutions to influence the piracy sphere, knowledge space and more importantly the policy space.
The Director WIPO Nigeria Office, in his opening remarks, expressed appreciation to the DG NCC for the Commission’s support to the WIPO National Essay competition since its inception five years ago. He stated that the finalists are in Abuja for a three day tour to interact with senior government officials and of course to share some of the ideas they have canvassed in their essays and also to get practical feedbacks on some of the key elements of IP administration particularly in the context of copyright.
Commenting on the competition for 2025, Dr. Tobi said a total of 188 entries were received on the theme: IP and Music, Harnessing the Music Industry for National Development. He informed that 20 judges reviewed the entries painstakingly with three top winners and 17 finalists emerging. He noted that the competition organised by the WIPO Nigeria Office, encourages research by engaging students of Nigerian Tertiary institutions into the field of IP. This he said, aligns with its mandate in Nigeria to support government and help raise the level of IP awareness across the country.
The team leaders on the entourage in their recommendation proposed: improving Nigeria’s music global diplomacy; institutionalizing of IP education in Nigeria; building of a centralized digital platform or portal to enable real time registration and distribution of royalties for music industry players; streamlining and regulating of Music distributors activities to improve intellectual property rights management in Nigeria and embracing of emerging technology like blockchain, tamperproof etc to help in the distribution of royalties.
Amos Abutu
For: Director-General
