Broadcasting
NCC Partners MOPPAN, Set to Reintroduce Hologram Stamps
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in collaboration with stakeholders, will soon reintroduce the hologram scheme to boost copyright regulation and anti-piracy interventions in selected copyright industries.
Mr. John O. Asein, director-general of NCC, disclosed this recently in Abuja while receiving a delegation of Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN) and Arewa Film Makers Association of Nigeria (AFMAN) led by Dr. Ahmad M. Safari, MOPPAN national president.
Mr. Asein stated that the Commission would collaborate with the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the reintroduction of the hologram stamps would strengthen the Commission’s renewed enforcement drive by aiding the identification of genuine copyright works.
The Commission and MOPPAN representatives also discussed various strategies to sanitise the production and distribution channels in the movie industry, particularly in the northern part of the country.
He noted that while much of copyright dealings were now online, there was still a huge volume of works in the physical space.
Expressing regret that some vested interests had scuttled the implementation of the hologram scheme when it was first introduced by the Commission over two decades ago, he indicated that the scheme would be reintroduced to run first as a voluntary scheme and eventually be made mandatory for certain categories of works.
“All we want is to have a credible, a security marker that would enable the average man on the street distinguish between original and pirated copyright works. This would strengthen the anti-piracy drive of the Commission and enhance copyright protection,” he stated.
The director-general also expressed concerns about the proliferation of dubbing and voice-over of foreign movies which he said constituted copyright infringement under Nigerian copyright law and warned perpetrators to desist from such illegal acts.
Observing that the Commission has a duty to protect the interests of foreign copyright owners as much as other countries have obligations to protect Nigeria’s copyright interests, he cautioned that the Commission would intensify efforts to arrest and prosecute all forms of criminal copyright infringement.
“We must take necessary steps to check the infringing voice-over of local and foreign movies. We may have to combine our powers over piracy with the powers of the NVFCB over uncensored movies, first to enlighten the public and eventually clean up the streets of such criminality across the country” he stressed.
Decrying the socio-economic damage that pirates and copyright thefts cause, Mr. Asein reassured MOPPAN that the Commission would continue to institute and implement policies that would further encourage and secure investments in the copyright industry while making piracy less attractive.
“Nigeria at 60 gives us the creative sector an opportunity to look inwards and celebrate Nigeria. I assure you that, going forward, the Commission will be available to walk the streets and markets with you to send the message in very clear terms that Nigeria is not a dumping ground for foreign movies, with or without voice-over. We should promote this administration’s policy of Nigeria first in the entertainment industry”, he stated.
He appealed to film makers to patronize only legitimate replicating and duplicating plants to further discourage piracy.
The director-general urged stakeholders to support NCC’s regulatory and enforcement initiatives, stressing that despite the challenges of inadequate operational facilities, the Commission remained committed to discharging its statutory mandates.
He gave an assurance that the Commission would review and provide practitioners in the various copyright industries with model contracts to help safeguard their rights and promote rancour-free copyright dealings.
The director-general also disclosed that the Commission has introduced major policy initiatives to respond to the peculiar needs in the copyright industry, such as boarder and international ports policing, the Online Enforcement Unit, the regulation of duplicators, as well as intensified raids of piracy hotspots across the country.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Safari, national president of MOPPAN, identified the main challenges undermining the growth of the movie industry as piracy; illegal voice-over on foreign movies in the Hausa language; unauthorised content upload on social media platforms; and lack of model contractual agreements in the film industry.
While appreciating the efforts of the Commission at repositioning the creative industry, Dr. Safari urged the NCC to sustain its partnership with stakeholders across all the sectors of the copyright industry.
The MOPPAN National President was accompanied on the visit by the Chairman, MOPPAN in the F.C.T., Alhaji Habib Barde Mohammed; National Coordinator of Arewa Film Makers Association of Nigeria (AFMAN), Alhaji Ahmad Turaki Kaka and MOPPAN Secretary, Mr. Dalhatu Sule.
Directors of the Commission in attendance were the Director, Regulatory Department, Mr. Augustine Amodu; Director, Nigerian Copyright Academy (NCA), Mr. Mike Akpan; Director of Enforcement, Mr. Obi Ezeilo; and the Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Vincent A. Oyefeso.
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker
Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.
He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”
According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.
He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.
He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.
Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”
He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.
According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.
He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.
Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.
He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.
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