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The Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigerian (PMAN), led by Mr. Pretty Okafor, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the Copyright Amended Bill, which repeals the Copyright Act, Cap C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
President Buhari had on March 17, 2023 appended his signature to the Copyright Act 2022, which provides for the regulation, protection and administration of copyright in Nigeria.
In a statement issued during the week, Okafor applauded President Buhari for signing the bill into law, describing it as a welcome development. He further said that the new Copyright Act would go a long way in promoting creativity and encouraging Nigerian artistes to be more productive.
The PMAN president also expressed his gratitude to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN; Director General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein and the National Assembly members for the epoch making legislation.
He also thanked Honourable Tokunbo Abiru representing Lagos State in the House of Representative, Nigerian Television Authority, musicians, especially 2face Idibia and Nollywood actors that accompanied him to the National Assembly to defend the bill during the public hearing.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated unalloyed commitment to the growth of Nigerian music and entertainment. This noble gesture will not only have a positive impact on the nation’s creative sector, it would also rub off greatly on the economy,” Okafor said.
The PMAN president appealed to all Nigerians, most especially, content creators and users to support President Buhari’s gesture and ensure that the initiative works for a better creative industry.
“I hereby appeal to all Nigerians particularly content creators and users to support this noble initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari. I equally appeal to all music pirates and unauthorized creative content users to desist from their nefarious activities, as it would not be business as usual with this new Copyright Amendment Bill,” Okafor stressed.
