THE Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has stepped up collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) towards checking the influx of pirated works through the borders.
The Director, NCC Lagos Office, Mr. Matthew Ojo, who represented the Director-General, Dr. John O. Asein, disclosed this during a consultative visit to the new Comptroller of Customs Area Command at the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML), Mr. Fidelis Okun on 7th June 2022. He indicated that a new impetus between both enforcement agencies has boosted the inter-agency collaboration and cooperation between the Commission and the NCS, with a zero tolerance stance for importation and export of pirated works
According to the Director, NCC Lagos Office, the visit, “was to get acquainted with the new Area Comptroller, to show appreciation for the cooperation and collaboration of officers of the Command and further strengthen the relationship between the Commission and the Customs Service towards stemming the influx of pirated works at the points of entry into the country.”
He called for sustainment of the collaboration and cooperation between the two agencies in order to put an end to importation of pirated works.
On his part, the Customs Area Command Comptroller, Mr. Fidelis Okun expressed his appreciation for the Commission’s acknowledgement of the collaborative efforts of the Customs. He reiterated the Custom’s willingness to sustain cooperation with the Commission in order to achieve the statutory mandates of the Government Agencies, “since the sister agencies are both working towards the same goal, serving Nigeria”.
The Customs Comptroller suggested that since the Commission was not statutorily mandated to be domiciled at the Ports but obligated to access it in order to carry out its statutory functions, the Commission should engage the operators of the Port and Terminal Multiservices Limited (PTML) Terminal in discussions so that the NCC inspectors could be issued access cards to the relevant terminals at the Ports.

Olumide Oduntan,
Assistant Director, Public Affairs
For: Director-General