Broadcasting
NCC, Stakeholders Agree on Copyright Law Enforcement
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in a bid to address the issue of piracy in the creative industry recently organized a one-day workshop for the chief executive officers and operating managers of optical disc plants in Nigeria; and other stakeholders in the creative industry.
The workshop provided a platform for engagement between the Commission, optical disc plants operators, copyright owners and other stakeholders in the copyright industry; to fashion out a new course in the collective efforts at improving the implementation of the Copyright Optical Discs Plants Regulation, reduce piracy in the creative industry, in addition to initiating industry best practices.
In his welcome address, Adewopo Adebambo, DG of NCC, acknowledged that the effect of piracy on right owners in Nigeria is tremendous, while observing that the emergence of digital technology and the popularity of optical disc have created new challenges as regards piracy control.
“The regulation of optical disc manufacturing plants has facilitated the identification of genuine plants for periodic inspection to ensure that illegal reproductions are not carried out. It has also enabled the Commission to enforce the statutory duty requiring these plants to keep records of their productions based on the powers vested in the commission under section 45(4) of the Copyright Act,” he stated.
The NCC boss informed that after a general inspection of all the plants in December, the Commission observed that while many plants were in some degree of compliance with the provisions of the law, a gross weakness was prevalent in the area of post-registration obligations.
He said the team observed inconsistencies in plants’ record keeping, in addition to most of them defaulting on import approvals either for production parts or raw materials; and only a few observing required rights clearance procedures.
Adebambo said these slips stem from the plant officials’ lack of understanding of the full regulatory obligations, and the reluctance of some plants to discard old practices, while noting that the workshop was planned as a platform for the enthronement of sound copyright practices that will remedy the situation.
“Beyond the need to provide information, we are also looking forward to using this platform to encourage the adoption of uniform standards of operations.”
Cyprian Orakpo, chairman of Optical Disc Replicators Association of Nigeria (Odran), reiterated the association’s support for the NCC’s efforts geared towards ridding the country of piracy as pronounced in the Strategic Action against Piracy (Strap). “We have had several meetings with the Commission and other stakeholders of the copyright community towards this end and we hope that in no distant time, all our efforts will yield the much anticipated result.”
Orakpo observed that for the country’s optical disc plants to survive, concerted efforts must be made to curb the activities of pirates. “The truth of the matter is that if nothing is done about piracy, many optical disc plants may close shop this year. In fact, at the current cost of optical disc, there is no plant owner that can replace his obsolete machinery with new equipment. Piracy must be fought from both the supply and demand ends. The supply end includes the importers, duplicators, replicating plants and label printers, while the demand end comprises the distributors, marketers, agents and users.”
Participants observed that the effect of intellectual property infringement and the non-observance of the provisions of relevant laws and regulations in the management of optical discs are detrimental to the copyright owners, the industry and the nation’s economy.
It was unanimously agreed that a well regulated environment for the reproduction of creative works would ensure that only genuine products are injected into the channels of trade and commerce; and as guardians of valuable data, optical disc plants should aid the protection of creative works and guarantee due compensation for creative efforts.
Participants unanimously agreed that unlicensed optical disc plants, illegal duplicators, printers and publishers of music, should be identified and made to face the course of justice. It was also recommended that genuine right owners be encouraged to notify the NCC of their rights, through its website in order to assist legal optical disc plants in verifying copyright ownership.
The workshop also charged the regulatory agency to compel optical disc and mastering plants to inscribe identifiable codes in their production facilities in order to assist in the investigation of illegal reproduction of optical discs, while effective mass enlightenment programmes be instituted to sensitize the public.
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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