Broadcasting
Nigeria Presents 4 Copyright Treaties @ WIPO
Nigeria has presented four key Copyright ratified Treaties to the Assembly of member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)in Geneva.
The presentation was made at a 57th WIPO General Assembly meeting in Geneva on October 2. Amb. Audu Kadiri, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, said in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
Kadiri, who presented the treaties to the Director General of WIPO, Dr. Francis Gurry said, Nigeria was committed to the implementation of the treaties in support of the country’s drive to revatilise its economy.
He listed the treaties to include the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), the Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) and the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances and the Marrakesh Treaty .
He explained that the Beijing Treaty will enter into force three months after 30 ratifications or accessions are presented to WIPO. Kadiri also added that others will enter into force for Nigeria on January 4, 2018.
Gurry said the accessions represented a major commitment on the part of Nigeria to ensure that its copyright system is effective and therefore “its protection for performers and for artists and for composers and authors is at the very highest level internationally.”
Also, Mr. Afam Ezekude, Director- General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), who led Nigeria delegation to the meeting said , “With the ratification of the four treaties, Nigeria is about to witness a new era in its intellectual property protection policy and legislation.
“The development again underscores the urgent need to enact a new Copyright legislation that will implement the standards stipulated in the treaties,”he said.
“The Ratification of the treaties affirms Nigeria’s acceptance and its undertaking to faithfully perform and carry out obligations under the treaties.
“Nigeria stands to derive benefits from this instrument when its provisions are eventually domesticated in the revised Copyright bill being proposed by the NCC.
“Similarly, the Beijing treaty guarantees prospects of remuneration for performers in respect of residual exploitation of their fixed performances.
“For Nigeria and its burgeoning film industry (NOLLYWOOD), this treaty is particularly germane to the operations of the new system of collective management of rights in audiovisual works.
“It will strengthen and expand opportunities for players in the industry,“ he said.
President Muhammadu Buhari, following an approval of the Federal Executive Council, signed these four (4) instruments of ratification of the Treaties on August 24, 2017.
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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