…As Copyright Commission holds interactive session to promote, protect creative sector
By Palma Ileye
In continued efforts to protect and promote the creative sector for its growth, development and sustainability, Federal Government through the the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC, has organised a One Day Seminar for personnel of the Ministry of Justice to achieve this feat.
Speaking during the interactive session held at the Ministry of Justice Headquarters in Abuja, the Minister of Justice, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN, said that the seminar was opening another vista for the Nation to continue to expand the frontier of knowledge on this important Sector of the economy, called copyright.
Fagbemi who was represented by the Director, Legal Drafting Department, Mr Patrick Oyong at the event by said that globally, copyright development was receiving significant attention and Nigeria cannot be seen to be left behind.
He said, “I am happy to note that efforts are gradually being made to improve the Sector in Nigeria. It is remarkable that on Friday, March 17th, 2023 the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari signed the Copyright Bill into the Copyright Act 2022.
“It is significant to recall the primary aims of the Act as being to; Protect the right of authors to ensure appropriate rewards and recognitions for their intellectual efforts; Provide appropriate limitations and exceptions to guarantee access to creative works; Facilitate Nigerian’s compliance with obligations arising from relevant international copyright treaties and conventions; and Enhance the capacity of Nigeria Copyright Commission for effective regulations, administration, and enforcement of the provisions of the Act.”
Furthermore he enjoined all stakeholders on matter pertaining to copyright to note that the collective efforts were required to provide a common synergy that will help develop the copyright industry in Nigeria.
Also imploring the Directors of the FMOJ to note that this Ministry has a great role to play as a supervisory Ministry in the development and growth of copyright.
Also, the Director General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Dr John Asein stated that the essence of the seminar was to foster an effective and efficient collaboration with the Ministry in creating reforms that will help boost the creative sector.
Asein stated that inview of the foregoing and as part of its sensitisation programme, for critical Stakeholders in the Copyright sector, the Commission deemed it fit to organize the seminar on Copyright laws and policies for selected officials in the Professional Department of the Ministry of Justice.
He said that the objective was to acquaint them with the global intellectual property system and its role in promoting creativity and innovation, the mandate and activities of the NCC as well as current issues in the enforcement of Copyright.
In his words: “This is the first time we are having this interactive session despite the fact that we have always drawn from the Ministry, the Nigerian Copyright Commission we can’t but be thankful to the Ministry for first birthing the Copyright Act that we got this year in March.
“We couldn’t have achieved that without the help of the Ministry, particularly the Legal Drafting Department of the Ministry and for us at NCC it is like coming back to report on our achievements and where we hope to get to and that informs this seminar which is to have a forum where those in the Ministry will understand the activities of the NCC better.
“Alot of correspondence goes on in files sometimes you don’t even know the people who are on the other side of those correspondence, you don’t know what the isses are sometimes but we rely on the Directors, Special Assistants and machineries here to make our own work easier and to make the Copyright system run better because of that we feel it is good to have a handshake in an exercise like this.
“We would do it again and again and as issues comes up we will have such round tables and seminars to discuss with the experts in the Ministry of Justice, that is why this is coming up. We would do a proper review to see how the seminar has helped the industry and what gaps there are and we will list out areas that requires further attention to strengthen the Copyright system and make it more efficient to help the creative sector in Nigeria.”
The Seminar was organised by the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice.
Participants at the seminar include: Directors from relevant professional Departments such as Legal Drafting, International Cooperation, Solicitors, Public prosecution and others.
