By Priscilla Osaje
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and National Gallery of Art (NGA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to combat copyright infringement in the visual art sector for the growth of the creative economy.
The MoU was signed by the Director-General of NCC, Dr John Asein and the Director-General of NGA, Mr Ahmed Sodangi at the NCC head office in Abuja on Monday.
The MoU also aims at strengthening the synergy and collaboration between the two organisations in ensuring the prevention of unauthorised use, reproduction, distribution and display of copyrighted visual artworks.
Speaking at the event earlier, Asein said that the organisations would focus on the visual arts sector, adding that such a profound step would be replicated in other areas.
According to him, NGA collaborating with the copyright commission would also help them to further take steps with other units of government, as well as other agencies to better the visual artists.
“For us, it is something that we cannot take for granted, by way of reciprocating, we reaffirm our commitments to the copyright system, government policies, and aspirations of this administration in revamping the sector.
“We will ensure that every Nigerian creative person in Nigeria begins to benefit from that sector and the sector contributes maximally to our national goals.
“I can speak for you in this area that we have a common mandate to ensure that we make Nigeria a better place.
” We have a common mandate to ensure that the renewed hope policy translates to measurable outcomes and this is just a roadmap,” Asein said
Asein commended NGA boss and his team for making the event happen, stressing that beyond this, they had commenced areas of possible collaboration and action.
” I think we both have that commitment, we have to take it one sector at a time, one unit at a time and one bit at a time.
” The same way we will be engaging with other agencies and other sectors of government to better all those who are using the copyright system,” he assured.
Asein reiterated NCC`s commitment to continue the disruptions of illicit activities going on in the visual art sector.
“We need the stakeholders, the private sector, as well as the ultimate beneficiaries to stand behind us and support this initiative.
” I appreciate the president of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) , Muhammad Sulaiman and other representatives eager to see change in the arts sector for the benefit of culture and the creative industries in Nigeria,” he stressed.
Also speaking, Sodangi said the MoU was strategic because it is the visual arts sector that deals with creatives, intuition and intellectual property (IP).
According to him, it is significant to have such a synergy with the agency that looks out for the protection of copyright infringement and ownership..
” This is in line with the value addition policy that is within the rule of the agenda, where we want to see how the creative economy and creative industry reach full potential.
“But we can’t do that if we have copyright infringement, we have street artworks that are being copied and people’s IP being stolen.
” Something that is supposed to generate revenue for you is now being undermined. I believe this is just the beginning of a new thing based on the strategic MOU signed between the two government agencies,” he said.
Sodangi noted that collaboration with NCC and other stakeholders like SNA would facilitate the achievement of the aim of the MoU.
He said that one of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu has been restated so many times, the need for inter-government agencies, inter-industrial departments to come together and see how to improve the sector.
” So one of the ways that we intend to achieve the MoU aims to have a joint working committee involving some of the stakeholders, like SNA.
” This will enable us to come together and look at those areas, particularly with street art, people who copy people’s artwork without their permission and without any value exchange.
“Also to see how we can put an end to that as well as creating policies that now protect the intellectual property (IP) of artists,” he added.
He appreciated Asein and his team for putting them on their toes, because it was one thing to actually speak about something and another thing to put action to it.
According to him, dedication of the NCC team was actually what prompted the other side of the National Gallery to look at that which boils down to policy.
Sulaiman, SNA president, said NGA has been working in their own capacity with SNA, but collaborating with NCC would help them to achieve a lot.
According to him, they are not fighting with anybody, but people involved in that act should understand that they are infringing on people’s emotions, and I urged them to desist from such an act.
He said that the ideas that have been built by so many notable artists in the world today, like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Filippo Brunelleschi, the three highly influential Italian artists, were not duplicated.
Sulaiman said that if their artworks were duplicated, they would not have grown to such levels even after their death.
” SNA is fully in support of protecting what we have as ours. Listening to NCC speaking at events that have to do with IP rights and others shows that they are not just speaking, but what they want to do.
“We need the people who will tell those on the street that the holiday is over, even if it is going to affect any of our members,” he said.(NAN)
Edited by Joseph Edeh
