Broadcasting
Nigeria Commits to Domestication of Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual
Nigeria, in the ongoing reform of its copyright system, is taking steps towards the domestication of the provisions of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances, which came into force on 28th April 2020.
Mr. John O. Asein, Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), disclosed this in his opening remarks at a Webinar with the theme: Strengthening Nigeria’s Creative Sector through Improved Rights for Artists and Performers, to mark the coming into force of the treaty.
Expressing concern over the loss of revenue in the audiovisual industry, he assured that the Commission would work with the guilds, associations and collective management organisation in the industry to develop appropriate mechanisms to ensure greater return on creative investment.
He noted that such interventions would necessitate looking into various aspects of the industry, including engagement contracts, distribution bottlenecks, online abuses and rights management issues.
The Director-General reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to improving the protection available to audiovisual performers, especially “in today’s digital environment where copyright works are easily retransmitted on various online platforms often without recourse to the right owners or the performers.”
Noting that Nigeria’s film industry ranked among the top three in the world, he expressed worry that the ranking has not translated to real economic benefit and enhanced status for the performers “who stand before the lights and cameras transforming scripts to action”.
Mr. Asein expressed sadness that in recent times, well-known film and television actors faced with health challenges have had to appeal to the public for assistance which often came in trickles or a little too late.
“The current global pandemic has further amplified the vulnerability of creators – authors, musicians, actors and other performers – and it underscores the need to have a fallback system to sustain them beyond their active years and especially in time of economic downturn. These are people who generate or bring life to the copyright works that we enjoy but in most cases they do not have access to any form of pension or gratuity”, he stated.
The Director-General who congratulated member states of WIPO despite the fact that the Treaty was coming into force about eight years after its conclusion in June 2012, urged participants at the Webinar to provide “initial thoughts on how the balanced application of the provisions of the Treaty could help Nigeria achieve its laudable objectives.”
The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances was adopted by the Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances, which took place in Beijing from June 20 to 26, 2012.
The Treaty modernises and updates for the digital era the protection for singers, musicians, dancers and actors in audiovisual performances. It upgrades the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (1961) and complements the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), which updated protection for performers and producers of phonograms.
The Beijing Treaty encompasses the performances of actors in different media, such as film and television, and also includes musicians when their musical performances are recorded in a DVD or any other audiovisual platform. It grants performers economic rights in fixed and unfixed performances, as well as certain moral rights.
Under the Beijing Treaty, performers are accorded four kinds of economic rights for their performances fixed in audiovisual fixations, namely the right of reproduction; the right of distribution; the right of rental; and the right of making available.
The Treaty obliges each contracting party to adopt, in accordance with its legal system, the measures necessary to ensure the application of the Treaty, including ensuring that enforcement procedures are available for effective action against any act of infringement of rights.
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, simply known as Fela, legendary Nigerian musician, has made history as the first African artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Fela
This is coming after he was posthumously honored with the 2026 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African artist to receive this prestigious special merit recognition.
Fela will be honoured in the early influence category this year, along with Queen Latifah, rapper MC Lyte, country rocker Gram Parsons, and Cuban singer Celia Cruz at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame event.
The honorees were revealed on Monday night in the US, during an airing of American Idol.
Sade Adu, Nigerian-born British singer, will be honoured in the performance category.
However, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, New Edition, and Pink, missed out on the final cut despite being nominated.
Over 1,200 artists, historians and music industry professionals voted to decide the honorees.
The induction ceremony will be held on 14 November at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is set to launch so-called FreeTV, with over 100 channels for news, sports, education, entertainment and children’s programming in multiple Nigerian languages.
The launch is scheduled for May 15.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, who disclosed this, said the new platform will offer free-to-air access with no carriage fees, leveraging hybrid satellite and internet delivery via NigComSat-1R.
The new plan is not an upgrade, the NBC stressed. This is a rebuild, according to Ebuebu .
FreeTV will be true free-to-air – no encryption, no set-top box barrier.
Any DVB-T2/S2 television will work. A mobile app will extend reach to phones and tablets.
The platform will launch with over 100 national, regional and state channels across sports, news, children’s programming, education, entertainment and cultural content in Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Tiv, Ijaw, Edo, Fulfulde, Ibibio, Efik and Nupe – all in HD.
Crucially, the NBC has partnered with a Bulgarian firm, GARB (operating since 2006 and recognised by the European Broadcast Union), to deliver a 94 per cent-accurate audience measurement system using return-path data, app analytics, demographic panels, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
To qualify broadcasters, must commit their channels, produce a minimum of 60 per cent local content, and promote FreeTV until January 2029.
After that, a regulated tiered rate card takes effect.
According to NBC, the strategic rationale is simple: build viewers first, monetise later.
The document further revealed that six regional production hubs in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Benin would function as local content factories, expected to generate 500 to 1,000 jobs per zone within two years.
Popular Nigerian artist Adekunle Gold has lent his support to the growing youth-driven movement behind The Gathering on 100, further amplifying conversations around what is fast becoming one of the most talked-about upcoming experiences among young Nigerians.
Adekunle Gold
Known for his music and his strong connection with youth culture and evolving creative expression, Adekunle Gold’s involvement signals a deeper alignment between the event and the kind of audience it is attracting, a generation that is bold, expressive, and constantly redefining what community looks like.
While details of his involvement remain understated, his visible support adds a new layer of support and cultural relevance to the movement. In a landscape where attention is currency, endorsements from artists of his stature often act as a signal, drawing more eyes, more curiosity, and ultimately, more participation, but beyond visibility, the significance lies in what it represents.
The new father has, over the years, built a reputation for embracing creativity in its many forms, from music to visual storytelling, fashion, and digital engagement. His brand has consistently resonated with young Nigerians navigating similar spaces of self-expression and identity.
From interactive experiences like live music sessions and open performance moments to fashion runways and content creation spaces, the event is designed to blur the lines between audience and participant. It invites attendees to move beyond observation and become part of the moment.
This is a concept that closely mirrors the kind of cultural shift Adekunle Gold has been part of, one where boundaries between creator and consumer continue to dissolve.
His support also reflects a broader trend within Nigeria’s entertainment industry, where artists are increasingly engaging with youth-led initiatives that go beyond traditional performances. Rather than simply appearing on stage, they are aligning with movements that foster community, creativity, and shared experience.
For fans and attendees, this adds another dimension to what The Gathering on 100 represents.
As registrations increase and conversations expand across social platforms, the movement is gradually taking shape through the collective interest of those drawn to it.
Head to gathering.com to register.
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