Broadcasting
PMAN Alleges Secret Repeal, Reenactment of Copyright Act
Performing Musicians’ Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has kicked against the speed and secrecy shrouding the repeal and re-enactment of the Copyright Act 2004.
Pretty Okafor, president, PMAN in a said that the process to repeal the Act and re-enact a new one without consulting notable groups and associations in the creative industry had confounded all expectations.
“Recently, the media was agog with the news that the Bill to repeal and re-enact the Copyright Act 2004/2021 has passed second reading on the floor of the Senate. On hearing the news, PMAN contacted notable groups and associations in the creative industry, particularly the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) and Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), all of which denied any knowledge of the Bill and its contents. We then became very apprehensive that some sinister motives are at play to halt and reverse the progress already made in the field of copyright administration and enforcement.
“PMAN immediately wrote a formal letter to the Senate President, joint Chairmen of Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Trade and Investments, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Senate Chief Whip among others to express our concern over a Bill that touches upon the livelihood and constitutional rights of Nigerian without their knowledge or input. PMAN’s simple request was that it should be availed of a copy of the Bill to at least know what it contains, and if necessary, make input.
“PMAN did not stop there; we wrote a letter to the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, expressing the same concern and requesting the distinguished Senator to recall the Bill for stakeholders’ consideration. We received a very nice and swift reply from Senator Abiru who advised us to access the Bill from a link, which he gave as www.nass.gv.ng. From our attempts, we discovered that the link does not exist and we used our initiative to access the National Assembly website and found that the said Bill was not among the posted Bills pending consideration before the National Assembly (both the Senate and the House of Representatives). We then rightly assumed that we were deliberately sent on a wild goose chase by the distinguished Senator and came to the incontrovertible conclusion that certain forces are pushing the Bill secretly while trying to present the image that the process is open,” he explained.
Okafor said that PMAN has rejected the process in its entirety based on the fact that the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Abiru, is not an author, painter, artist or a musician.
“As far as we know, we are not able to trace any interest to him that could be classified as copyright-related that would make him so interested in pushing a Bill that would affect the lives and constitutional rights of millions of Nigerian stakeholders without their knowledge and input.
We have contacted our allies in other organisations and associations and they expressed the same worries. Some have actually written to the Senate leadership expressing their concerns. Our concern is more fuelled by a recent Public Hearing held on 16th and 17th June, 2021 by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values on the ‘Bill to Repeal the National Film and Video Censor’s Board Act and Enact the National Film and Video Censorship, Classification and Exhibition Regulatory Commission Bill 2019’ in its place. Up till now, stakeholders in the industry are not aware of the Bill and its contents.
“PMAN is stating for the umpteenth time and for the records that the works of our intellect, which consist of literary works, musical works, artistic works, cinematograph films, sound recordings and performances are our private property. They are our constitutional and fundamental human rights. Any attempt to tamper with them with a view to appropriate them for anybody or authority, be it private or public, shall be resisted.”
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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