By Priscilla Osaje
Dr Oluwatobiloba Moody, Director, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Nigeria Office, says Nigeria’s creative and digital economy is booming globally, with Afrobeats dominating global charts and Nollywood redefining cinema.
Moody stated this at the National Seminar on Copyright, Cybersecurity and Nigeria’s Creative and Digital Economy, organised by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in Abuja.
The seminar was entitled: “Protecting Nigeria’s Creative Economy and Digital Infrastructure Against Online Piracy.”
The seminar was aimed at bringing together stakeholders from law enforcement, financial intelligence, telecommunications and the creative industry to tackle online piracy.
According to him, the Nigerian creative industry was one of the country’s greatest national assets, adding that digital transformation had also altered the nature and scale of copyright infringement.
“Piracy is no longer a physical and street-level nuisance, but it is a sophisticated, borderless enterprise intertwined with cybersecurity risks.
“Today, illicit digital platforms do more than just steal content; they expose users to malware, facilitate identity concealment and disrupt the integrity of our digital infrastructure.
“This is why the theme of today’s seminar, ‘Protecting Nigeria’s Creative Economy and Digital Infrastructure against Online Piracy’, is so critically important.
“We are here to examine the nexus between online piracy, cybercrime and national security, as well as develop a national response action plan to address this,” he said.
Highlighting WIPO’s perspective, Moody said the digital environment required a balanced and dynamic intellectual property ecosystem.
According to him, WIPO believes that fighting online piracy requires more than enforcement.
“It requires capacity building, technical assistance and fostering a culture of respect for intellectual property.
“We commend Nigeria for the modernisation of its copyright framework through the Copyright Act of 2022.
“WIPO is proud to support this process, and we remain fully committed to our ongoing partnership with Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that the challenge was to translate the legal framework into practical and operational strategies.
“To this end, I am pleased to reaffirm that WIPO Nigeria Office stands ready to support NCC and all relevant stakeholders in deploying WIPO’s global technical tools.
“This includes initiatives such as ‘WIPO Alert’, which helps to disrupt the financial lifeline of pirate sites, and our Building Respect for IP (BRIP) framework, which focuses on sustainable awareness and training,” he added.
Moody further explained that WIPO launched a national project in 2025 to develop strategies and tools to combat online piracy.
He said the expected outcome of the deliberations was the development of the Abuja Copyright Action Plan against Online Piracy and the Inter-Agency Roadmap for Effective Collaboration.
He described the initiatives as “a highly strategic and necessary intervention”.
He commended the NCC for demonstrating a deep understanding of the modern digital challenge, adding that the gathering was aimed at addressing the emerging challenges.
“I wish the Copyright Commission and all gathered here a highly productive and successful deliberation,” he said.
The Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Dr Charles Ebuebu, said piracy had evolved significantly and become more sophisticated.
Ebuebu added that piracy had become simultaneous across jurisdictions and boundaries, with an enormous toll on revenue.
“Copyright frameworks provide immense global benefits, particularly for digital and online platforms. They serve as the legal foundation that enables creators to monetise their content across multiple international jurisdictions.
“In fact, it has grown to such dimensions that if piracy is not tackled, it will definitely take a great toll on the economies of countries and the creative industry,” he noted.
The director-general commended the NCC for organising the event and driving the narrative forward.
“NBC will definitely support NCC because copyright in broadcasting is a threat, as well as issues of piracy,” he stressed.
Ms Emily Young, Economic Adviser, U.S. Embassy, said she was amazed by the creativity of Nigerians, particularly in dance and music, especially Afrobeats.
“It is really important to protect this industry so that creators can profit and grow, just as it is important to protect our own American creators.
“So, we really appreciate everyone’s work and I am happy to learn from you all,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Funmilayo Adeyemi
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