A booming creative industry means nothing if the artists, writers, and filmmakers behind it go to bed hungry or die in penury, the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, declared on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Speaking in Abuja at the second edition of the Commission’s Annual Copyright Seminar for Journalists, themed “Copyright Protection: Empowering Journalists as Critical Stakeholders in the Creative Industry,” Asein challenged the media to move beyond routine court and arrest reporting to champion aggressive sectoral reforms and public reorientation.
Lamenting the devastating human and financial toll of intellectual property theft, Asein warned that standard estimates of Nigeria losing billions to piracy grossly understate the real damage.
“It doesn’t matter how much the creative industry is generating; if the person who is creating goes to bed hungry or dies poor, then the system has not adequately taken care of all the stakeholders in that copyright ecosystem,”
Asein stated. “A successful creative industry is not necessarily the same as a prosperous community of creators.”
Drawing the Line on AI and Digital Piracy
Addressing the rapid disruption caused by Artificial Intelligence (AI), the NCC chief maintained that emerging technologies must never sideline human ingenuity.
“Our policy position is clear: Artificial intelligence must serve human creativity, not make human creators economically irrelevant,” he insisted, calling for strict adherence to licensing, attribution, and fair remuneration.
To ensure creators and their families benefit from intellectual property for up to 70 years posthumously, Asein advocated for transparent contracts, robust royalty administration, and financial frameworks that let artists use their copyrights as collateral without forfeiting ownership. He also urged media houses to lead by example by securing proper authorization—not mere attribution—before publishing protected works.
On enforcement, Asein reaffirmed that the Commission’s Special Taskforce Against Online Piracy (STOP) Unit is intensifying intelligence-led crackdowns on book pirates and digital infringers, while rallying media support for the Abuja Copyright Action Plan and the ongoing 2026 Moses Ekpo Prize for Innovative Copyright Reporting.
Media as Stakeholders, Not Spectators
Earlier, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Ijeoma Egbunike, described piracy as a “hydra-headed monster” destroying creative livelihoods. She urged journalists—whom she noted are themselves content creators and copyright owners—to deploy editorials and investigative reports to educate Nigerians that digital infringement is a serious criminal offence.
The workshop featured three technical sessions delivered by Assistant Director at the Nigerian Copyright Academy, Mr. Caleb Daniels; Principal Partner at Alpha Edge Legal, Mr. Mike O. Akpan; and Mrs. Egbunike, equipping reporters with practical tools on copyright law, digital publishing traps, and accurate legal reporting.
Participants, represented by Stella Omona of Independent Newspapers, commended the Commission for exposing everyday copyright blind spots and pledged to amplify the anti-piracy campaign nationwide.
