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By Sunday Ani
President, Practitioners of Content Creators, Skit-Makers and Influencers Guild of Nigeria (PCCSIGN), Micheal Obinna Nwabufo, aka Mike Premium, has announced the amicable resolution of the trademark matters involving the viral catchphrase ‘Something Hooge,’ widely associated with Nigerian comedian, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ejekwu (Oga Sabinus).
The matter involved major consumer brands, including Peak Milk and Gala Sausage Roll, which had previously utilised elements linked to Sabinus’ creative identity in promotional campaigns.
Nwabufo, who represented the interests of the creator within the creative industry ecosystem, had earlier initiated legal proceedings seeking N1 billion against FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, makers of Peak Milk and N100 million against UAC Foods Limited, producers of Gala Sausage Roll, over issues relating to the use of the catchphrase.
Providing an update on the matter, Nwabufo confirmed that both issues have now been resolved amicably through mutual agreement, partnership and professional engagement.
According to him, the development represents a positive outcome for the Nigerian creative industry and demonstrates that disputes relating to intellectual property can be resolved constructively through appropriate legal channels and dialogue.
The phrase, ‘Something Hooge,’ which gained nationwide popularity through Sabinus’ comedy skits, had earlier been filed for trademark protection with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, Industrial Property Office Registry.
Official trademark acceptance records indicate that the word mark, ‘Something Hooge’ was filed on November 26, 2021 and accepted on December 4, 2021, under multiple trademark classes including Class 35 – Advertising and business promotion; Class 36 – Financial and commercial affairs and Class 41 – Entertainment, training and cultural activities.
He noted that the protection of the phrase across multiple classes positioned it as a recognised intellectual property asset associated with Sabinus’ entertainment brand.
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He emphasised that the resolution highlights the importance of respecting the intellectual property rights of content creators in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital and entertainment ecosystem.
He further explained that through PCCSIGN, the guild is actively working to promote greater awareness around intellectual property protection for content creators, skit-makers and digital influencers across the country.
According to him, the guild has been engaging stakeholders across the creative ecosystem to encourage creators to properly register their intellectual property, formalise their businesses and establish structured collaborations with brands.
He also stated that PCCSIGN was developing additional initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s creator economy.
He said that these include intellectual property awareness programmes for creators; industry guidelines for fair brand collaborations; capacity development initiatives for emerging content creators and engagements with the government’s institutions to support the growth of the digital content industry
He added that these initiatives were designed to ensure that Nigerian creators are able to protect their ideas, negotiate fairly with brands and build sustainable careers within the creative economy.
The PCCSIGN president commended his legal representatives, Eko Solicitors and LawCapitol, for their professionalism and dedication throughout the process.
He also confirmed that no further legal action was pending regarding the matters.
Nwabufo reiterated that the outcome demonstrates that the Nigerian creative industry was evolving into a more structured sector where intellectual property rights are recognised and respected.
