Broadcasting
Senate Passes Copyright Bill to Boost Creative Industry
The Nigerian Senate has passed the Bill for an Act to Repeal the Copyright Act, Cap C28 LFN, 2004 and Enact the Copyright Act to Provide for the Regulation, Protection and Administration of Copyright; and for Related Matters, as amended.
Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Lawal, CON, sitting as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, emphasised the importance of the Copyright Bill to the development of the creative industries and sustainable wealth creation in the national economy.
He took the distinguished members carefully through the 107 clauses of the Bill and its schedule, leading eventually to its passage.
The Bill, which was laid before the Red Chamber by Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, was the outcome of the harmonisation carried out by the Senate Joint Committee on Trade and Investment; Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The Joint Committee had considered the Private Member Bill (SB 688) sponsored by Senator Mukhail A. Abiru (Lagos East Senatorial District) and the Executive Bill (SB 769) sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (Kebbi North Senatorial District), both of which were presented in 2021 to repeal the Copyright Act Cap C28, LFN, 2004 and to enact the Copyright Act, and for matters connected therewith.
Presenting the Report of the Joint Committee, Senator Bamidele explained that the Bill sought to provide for a holistic review of the policy and legal framework for the effective regulation, protection and administration of copyright in Nigeria in line with global best practices.
In his words: “The overriding intents and purports of the Bill are to ensure that the Nigerian Copyright Commission, which is the statutory agency of Government saddled with the responsibilities for the promotion of the use of the copyright system, as a tool for advancing the growth of the creative industry in Nigeria, is properly repositioned and strengthened in order to harness the potentials of creativity for national development, particularly in today’s digital environment.”
Commenting further, Senator Bamidele stated that the four cardinal objectives of the Bill include: (a) strengthen the copyright regime in Nigeria to enhance the competitiveness of its creative industries in a digital and knowledge-based global economy; (b) effectively protect the rights of authors to ensure just rewards and recognition for their intellectual efforts while also providing appropriate limitations and exceptions to guarantee access to creative works; encourage cultural interchange and advance public welfare; (c) facilitate Nigeria’s compliance with obligations arising from relevant international copyright treaties; and (d) enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Copyright Commission for effective administration and enforcement of the provisions of the Copyright Act.
While urging the distinguished senators to favourably consider the Bill, Senator Bamidele lamented that due to the inability of successive governments to update the copyright law in Nigeria, many businesses had disappeared and many creative experts in Nigeria were deprived of their legitimate rights to earn a living from their creative works.
He also noted the adverse consequences of the weak administrative and legal framework, low criminal sanctions, inadequate pre-emptive provisions and the huge scale of copyright piracy and other copyright abuses.
He, therefore, expressed optimism that the Bill would meet the expectations of stakeholders to streamline Nigerian copyright law with current realities and make room for more effective regulation, promotion and protection of the copyright of Nigerians.
Speaking after the passage of the Bill, the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi congratulated the two Committees that worked on the Bill for work well done in harmonising the Private Member Bill and the Executive Bill to produce an excellent outcome.
Reacting, the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, (NCC), Dr. John O. Asein, who was at the Senate to observe proceedings, described the passage of the Bill as a watershed in the development of copyright law in Nigeria, describing it as the first successful legislative intervention in the field of intellectual property under a democratic regime.
He expressed appreciation to the leadership of the Senate and the distinguished senators for the commitment demonstrated throughout the legislative process to complement the efforts of Government to overhaul the copyright system. Dr. Asein also thanked stakeholders in the copyright industries for their resilience and support for the reform process.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have jointly sued the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over what they described as an “arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful” threat to sanction broadcast stations and presenters.
The development was disclosed in a Sunday statement signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, and Onuoha Ukeh, general secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
According to the statement, SERAP and NGE challenged a recent directive by NBC, warning presenters and journalists against “expressing personal opinions as facts,” “bullying or intimidating guests,” and failing to maintain neutrality.
The statement reads, “SERAP and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over the arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful ‘Formal Notice’, which threatens to sanction broadcast stations and presenters for allegedly ‘expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.’
“The NBC had recently threatened to sanction broadcast stations and presenters who ‘express personal opinions as facts’ or ‘bully and intimidate guests,’ claiming it had ‘identified a sustained increase in breaches of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code across news, current affairs, and political programmes.’”
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/854/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos State, SERAP and NGE asked the court to determine whether the various provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by the NBC in the directive are inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations.
According to the statement, the groups disclosed that Femi Falana (SAN), human rights lawyer, would lead a team of senior lawyers to represent SERAP and NGE in the lawsuit.
SERAP and NGE asked the court to declare that the provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code used by the NBC are vague and constitute a fundamental breach of press freedom guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.
The statement added, “SERAP and NGE are asking the court for a declaration that the provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code used by the NBC are vague and overly broad and constitute a fundamental breach of freedom of expression and media freedom guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.”
The groups also sought an interim injunction to restrain the NBC, its agents and other authorities from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters based on what they described as “unlawful provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code”, pending the hearing and determination of the motion.
“SERAP and NGE are also seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the NBC, its agents or privies, whether jointly or severally or any other authority, from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters based on the patently unlawful provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed simultaneously in this suit,” the statement concluded.
Globacom continues to celebrate African creativity as its sponsored programme African Voices on CNN International features London based photographer and multidisciplinary artist Ejatu Shaw this week. The episode highlights her journey, her art, and the stories behind her work.
Ejatu Shaw’s journey into photography began in 2013 during a family trip to Sierra Leone, a moment that sparked a passion which has since shaped her creative path. Born in 1996, the British Sierra Leonean artist later went on to earn a master’s degree in photography arts from the University of Westminster in 2020.
Her work explores identity in a personal and expressive way, drawing from her Islamic faith and African heritage. She is inspired by classic African studio photographers such as Malick Sidibé, Sory Sanlé, and Omar Yahia Barram. Through self-portraits and visual storytelling, she brings her memories and experiences to life.
Shaw’s talent continues to gain global recognition. In 2025, the British Fashion Council named her a New Wave Creative.
She has also photographed top names including Angela Bassett, Cynthia Erivo, and Usain Bolt, and worked on projects for major platforms like EBONY, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and Vogue. She also designed the album cover for Craig David.
The programme will air on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. On Sunday, it will show at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with repeats on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit will hold its second edition on August 11 in Lagos, bringing together leaders across the creative, business and policy spaces.
Convened by Mighty Media Plus, publishers of online newspaper QEDNG, the summit brings together conversations at the intersection of creativity, enterprise and influence, with a focus on strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.
Reflecting on the inaugural edition, Iyanda said the summit drew participation from respected figures across sectors, including group managing director of SO&U Udeme Ufot as chairman and founder of The Africa Soft Power Group Dr Nkiru Balonwu as keynote speaker, alongside panellists such as filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) founder Mike Dada and executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Dr Shaibu Husseini who contributed to discussions on the direction of the creative economy.
“The first edition showed that there is a strong interest in serious engagement around the creative economy. We had contributions from experienced voices who helped set the tone for the kind of platform we are building,” Iyanda said.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the summit continues to expand its scope, attracting a diverse mix of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and emerging talents.
“This summit is designed as a meeting point for ideas, influence and execution. It is not just about conversations, but about outcomes that strengthen the creative economy,” Iyanda added.
He noted that the timing of the summit is significant as the country’s creative sector continues to evolve.
“Nigeria’s creative sector has grown in visibility, but the structures that support it are still evolving. The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit is part of the effort to bring clarity, direction and serious engagement to that growth,” he said.
The 2026 edition will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and curated sessions addressing themes around innovation, growth, funding and the global positioning of Nigerian creative talent.
According to Iyanda, the long-term goal is to build a platform that remains relevant across generations.
“Our goal is to build a platform that remains useful over time, one that documents progress, connects stakeholders and contributes meaningfully to policy and practice,” he said.
Further details on speakers, partners and the full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
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