Broadcasting
NCC Raids Piracy Outlets, Arrests 3 Suspects, Confiscates Infringing Books in Abuja
Operatives of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have arrested three suspected book pirates and confiscated infringing books worth over two million Naira (N2,000,000) during an antipiracy operation in Area 1 Shopping Complex, Abuja.
Dr. John O. Asein, the Director-General, NCC, disclosed this in a post-raid media briefing at the Commission’s Headquarters, Abuja on Wednesday.
Represented by the Director, Nigerian Copyright Academy (DNCA), Mr. Mike Akpan, the Director-General stated that the operation was in line with the Commission’s zero tolerance for piracy and persistent efforts to stem the tide of copyright piracy, especially during the ongoing book season.
He revealed that suspected pirated books with an estimated market value of over two million Naira (N2,000,000) were seized from the raided outlets.
According to him, four suspected bookshops: Venco Bookshop (1 Outlet), Gozie Bookshop (1) and Kizito Bookshop (2 Outlets) were raided during the operation led by the Director of NCA, Mr. Akpan and Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Vincent A. Oyefeso, with a team of Copyright Inspectors, backed by armed Policemen.
He indicated that the Commission has commenced full investigation into the cases while suspects found to be in violation of the law would be prosecuted.
Emphasizing the Commission’s zero tolerance for piracy and other copyright violations, the Director General charged operators of sales outlets for copyright works to always stock genuine products.
“In the last three years, we have renewed our commitment to the fight against piracy, and no efforts would be spared in discovering and apprehending those involved in these heinous crimes, irrespective of their status and locations”, he warned.
He expressed concern that piracy has remained one of the big challenges of the creative industries in Nigeria while the book sector remained a prime target of pirates.
He regretted that piracy has robbed investors in the publishing industry of vital returns on their investment, while the country’s educational system suffered the indignity of gradual depletion of resources for learning due to the lost investment in publishing.
Dr. Asein stated that the Commission has started collaborations with stakeholders like the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and market authorities in the book value chain to curtail the incidence of piracy.
He urged members of the public, especially proprietors of schools and educational institutions to support the fight against piracy by sharing information on sources of pirated works.
In his words, “Booksellers should work with publishers to obtain only genuine copies of published works. We shall also not hesitate to bring to book operators of schools who patronise distributors of pirated books.
“We cannot afford to allow the shores of Nigeria to be used as a haven for piracy which is clearly an economic crime that has the potential to support other more serious crimes.”
Titles of some popular books confiscated during the raid include Basic Science and Technology for Primary Schools by Spectrum publishers; Modular Mathematics by Evans Publishers; New Concept English by Learn Africa; Comprehensive Home Economics by Lantern Books; Oral English SS1 by Jil Communications; Business Studies by Spectrum Publishers and many other titles for primary and secondary schools.
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.
NIPR
The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.
He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.
Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.
The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.
Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.
Netflix
The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.
“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.
The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.
Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”
Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
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