By Joshua Olomu

Legal experts and stakeholders have advocated increased Intellectual Property (IP) awareness to prevent copyright infringements, ensuring Nigerian creatives receive due recognition and rewards for their work.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders made the call at a one-day capacity building programme on IP Rights Management for creative industry administrators on Tuesday in Abuja.

The training, organised by the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACTCE), brought together officials of the ministry, the media and other key industry players as participants.

According to the stakeholders, adequate awareness and education on IP rights is needed for every Nigerian to appreciate copyright of creators as they drive innovation across every sector.

Mr Michael Akpan, an IP expert, said although enforcement of copyright laws was needed, it was also imperative to ensure that Nigerians were well-informed about IP.

He, therefore, commended FMACTCE for organising the training, adding that the initiative would make them more informed and equipped to deliver on their mandate.

“Respect for intellectual property rights hinges on awareness. When people understand their obligations, enforcement becomes easier, as they are more likely to comply with the law and respect others’ rights.

“Just as you will not trespass on someone’s land, people who understand intellectual property, respect the rights of creators, including musicians and actors.

“As people profit from tangible properties they create, those who create intellectual property are also entitled to derive economic benefits from it, and that is the core message of IP.

“This training is very important because the attendees are like the front officers for government to engage with the creative industry.

“So, they need to have good knowledge of managing creativity, which basically rests on the whole theme of intellectual property protection,” he said.

Mrs Ugochi Akudo-Nwosu, Director of Entertainment and Creative Economy at FMACTCE, emphasised the need for collective efforts to safeguard Nigerian ingenuity, enabling the creative sector to make a greater contribution to the national economy.

She, therefore, urged participants to leverage the benefits of the training for enhanced service delivery to stakeholders in the sector.

“We understand that lack of framework to protect the copyright of creators in Nigeria over the years, is a major concern for which this ministry was created.

“Although the Copyright Act is there, we also need to create awareness for our stakeholders to know that a creative idea or a creative asset need to be protected.

“Today’s capacity building for creative economy administrators on IP rights is actually the first training since the creation of the Department of Entertainment and Creative Economy in 2014.

“We want to specially thank the honorable minister for approving this training for the administrators for them to have capacity to administer the intellectual property rights regime,” she said.

Some participants, who spoke with NAN on the sidelines, expressed their delight with the training, noting that it provided the momentum they needed to perform their jobs more effectively.

Mrs Blessing Onwughalu , Assistant Director in the Department of Entertainment and Creative Economy of the ministry, said that the IP training was apt and timely.

“The things I have never heard before, I heard them today, which is very apt because it will help us to go back and talk to our subsector, the fashion designers, the actors, the authors, all of them.

“We are now equipped with the knowledge to educate them on protecting their rights and earning more income, both personally and for the nation,” she said.

Mr Godwin Ukah, a cultural officer in the ministry, added that with adequate knowledge of IP, policies, and enabling frameworks in place, creatives would thrive.

Earlier, in his opening address, Mr Ibrahim Suleiman, Director overseeing Office of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, called for policies that would promote fair and efficient IP systems.

According to him, as the Nigerian creative economy is gaining global attention, there is need to enhance the capacity of its administrators, adding that the training was timely.

“These programmes highlight the significance of intellectual property in the creative economy and its output for practitioners.

“On our part as a ministry, we are willing to collaborate with businesses, creators, and institutions to ensure that IP is used as a tool for empowerment and economic growth,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chinyere Omeire