The copyright operational landscape is evolving more rapidly, especially in today’s digital world. A decade ago, we had the mass reproduction of CDs and DVDs to deal with. Today, we are confronted with cloud-based infringements, algorithm-driven content aggregation, digital anonymity, and hyperactive online piracy networks. These developments have heightened the stakes and demand new regulatory responses and broader partnerships… In the spirit of this renewed collaboration, we are today reintroducing what used to be the Annual Copyright Forum now the Annual Copyright Dialogue
Protocols
Distinguished members of the Art and Culture Writers Association of Nigeria (ACWAN), media practitioners and partners in the copyright sector, ladies and gentlemen,
It is my honour to welcome you to this webinar on the theme “Beyond Reporting: The Media, Copyright and the Nigerian Creative Economy.” Today’s engagement is a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s creative ecosystem. It also represents the revitalisation of the Annual Copyright Forum, now re-envisioned as a strategic platform for deepening collaboration with the media and other stakeholders as indispensable partners in shaping Nigeria’s copyright agenda.
We are particularly delighted to identify with the Art and Culture Writers Association of Nigeria and I look forward to working more closely with the association and individual members for our mutual benefits.
This webinar is in recognition of the media not merely as observers or reporters of the copyright system but as active partners whose reportage, analysis, and public-facing narratives shape national consciousness and influence policy outcomes. For the Commission, we acknowledge that the realisation of our statutory mandate to promote and protect creativity requires strong, credible and professional media sector.
The copyright operational landscape is evolving more rapidly, especially in today’s digital world. A decade ago, we had the mass reproduction of CDs and DVDs to deal with. Today, we are confronted with cloud-based infringements, algorithm-driven content aggregation, digital anonymity, and hyperactive online piracy networks. These developments have heightened the stakes and demand new regulatory responses and broader partnerships.
In the spirit of this renewed collaboration, we are today reintroducing what used to be the Annual Copyright Forum now the Annual Copyright Dialogue. You may recall that the first Annual Copyright Forum was convened on 7 December 1990 (35 years ago) as “an avenue to facilitate exchange of views between national and international copyright experts and to re-evaluate operational strategies for the cultivation of copyright culture in Nigeria.” The last edition of the Copyright Forum was in 2000, followed by the Copyright Summit in 2001.
Pointing to the strategic role of the media in governance, the Commission’s pioneer Director-General, himself an accomplished media practitioner, Mr. Moses F. Ekpo, in 1993 noted:
“The government, like others who wish to communicate messages to the masses, have great need for the mass media. Apart from this, it appears that the public depends [almost] entirely on the media to influence and direct its thought on all issues that affect it… Society needs an interpreter. This interpreter is the media.”
True to that early vision, the Dialogue will now serve as a beacon for policy discourse, institutional reflection, and collaborative action in the copyright space.
To underscore the importance of this renewed partnership, the Commission is also pleased to inaugurate the Moses Ekpo Prize for Innovative Copyright Reporting, an annual award recognising journalists and media institutions that demonstrate excellence, integrity, and innovation in copyright reporting. The award will celebrate media practitioners who, in their reporting, contribute significantly to copyright education, public awareness and the Commission’s campaign for a more wholesome copyright system and a better creative sector in Nigeria.
The Prize for 2025 is being awarded posthumously to Ms. Evelyn Osagie who, until her passing on 17th August this year, was with The Nation.
Ms. Osagie was not only a distinguished journalist; she was a rare gift to Nigeria’s creative and copyright community. She showed remarkable empathy that enabled her to amplify the voices of young and emerging creators who otherwise would have remained unheard.
Her coverage of copyright issues reflected clarity, balance, and an unwavering commitment to national development. She was a steadfast ally of the Commission, highlighting policy milestones, supporting our enforcement efforts, and exposing the deepening threats of piracy with candour and courage. In many ways, Ms. Osagie embodied the very spirit of this Dialogue: professional, ethical, passionate, and firmly committed to the growth of Nigeria’s copyright sector.
I invite all participants in today’s webinar to interrogate emerging trends, challenge assumptions, share insights, and forge stronger alliances in our mission to enhance public education and champion the rights of creators in an increasingly complex digital environment.
The webinar will also focus on the rights and responsibilities of journalists and media practitioners as, content creators, information aggregators, copyright owners and users. To complement the webinar, the Commission has completed a handbook for journalists which is already in press and will soon be presented to the public.
We therefore enlist you as copyright owners and as guardians of the copyright and creative space to serve as:
- Partners in policy development, spotlighting emerging issues that require regulatory intervention;
- Monitors and evaluators of enforcement actions and policy implementation to hold us accountable in our service delivery;
- Allies in monitoring and evaluation to provide the needed feedbacks to help us understand public perception and stakeholder concerns to enrich our programmes and activities; and
- Champions of creativity, to help us enlighten the relevant public and mobilise support against piracy and other copyright abuses, especially online.
On behalf of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, I welcome you to this Annual Copyright Dialogue. May today’s conversations inspire new ideas, strengthen old partnerships, and renew our shared resolve to protect and promote Nigeria’s creative wealth through copyright.
Thank you, and I wish us all a productive and inspiring webinar.