KEY players in Nigeria’s creative industry have welcomed the launch of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)’s Strategic Project to develop targeted strategies and tools to combat online copyright piracy in Nigeria. The initiative, which is being implemented in partnership with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), was formally launched during a stakeholder engagement session held on May 13, 2025, at the Bank of Industry (BOI) in Abuja.

The 36-month project is designed to address the growing challenge of online copyright infringement by identifying legal and technical gaps, strengthening legislative and infrastructural frameworks, enhancing the skills of intellectual property (IP) professionals, and developing public awareness tools. Alongside Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa are also participating in this phase of the initiative.

Director-General, NCC, Dr. John Asein, in his presentation at the event, emphasized the critical urgency of tackling digital piracy and called on stakeholders to unite in safeguarding Nigeria’s creative economy and digital space. Highlighting the enormous economic losses caused by piracy, amounting to billions of naira annually, he underscored the need for robust, collaborative legal and technical frameworks.

Citing recent data, Dr. Asein noted that social media and messaging platforms have experienced a 6.7% increase in use, making piracy more widespread across multiple sectors; television (43.6%), publishing (27.5%), film (12.9%), music (7%) and software (6.2%).

“Far beyond the numbers, the damage inflicted by online piracy is personal and widespread. Nigerian creatives are now frequent victims, and many have seen their careers and enterprises devastated,” he said. Dr. Asein further warned that piracy is often linked to wider criminal activity, including financial fraud and national security threats.

He noted that under the revised Copyright Act 2022, the Commission is now empowered to use Technological Protection Measures (TPMs), take down infringing materials and block offending websites. “It is crucial to develop and deploy tools that offer effective management, protection, and enforcement of copyright in the digital space,” he added.

The DG-NCC reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening inter-agency cooperation and supporting stakeholder-led campaigns aimed at promoting and protecting Nigeria’s digital market. He called on creators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecommunications companies, and government agencies to act as frontline enforcement partners.

Speaking on behalf of WIPO, Legal Counsellor Dr. Tobias Bednarz emphasized that Africa’s vibrant creative industries face serious threats from digital piracy. He stated that the project aims to enhance laws and infrastructures and to improve enforcement capabilities among IP officers, telecommunications firms, and law enforcement personnel.

Also speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), Mr. Mayo Ayilaran, praised the initiative and noted that deploying the right strategies and tools could significantly reduce piracy. “More revenue will flow to creators, composers, producers, and performers. This initiative, if well implemented, will expand and enrich our creative ecosystem,” he stated.

Additional presentations were delivered by:Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, Director, WIPO Nigeria Office; Dr. Ioannis Kikkis, WIPO International Consultant, on Global Copyright Enforcement in Digital Spaces;  Mr. Michael Akpan, WIPO National Consultant, on the Trends and Control Challenges of Online Piracy in Nigeria.

The event drew wide participation from key Government Ministries and Agencies including: the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy; Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Department of State Services (DSS); National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU); INTERPOL, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Other notable participants included the Bank of Industry (BOI); National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Trademark Registry; Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN); Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS); Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG); Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA); Telecom companies; legal practitioners; filmmakers; copyright owners and other sectoral stakeholders.

Mary A. Adegbile

For: Director-General